The forum will be attended by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayep Erdogan, Chairman of the Russian-Arab Business Council Vladimir Evtushenkov and 40 other leading local and international players.
A 72-member strong Russian business delegation which includes President of Bashkortostan Rustem Khamitov will also be present.
The forum will examine major issues in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, and discuss the ways and means to achieve sustained economic growth, a stable business environment and job opportunities.
“The participants in the Forum 2011 include a select group of local and international economists, social, and cultural thinkers along with elite politicians and world leaders, ministers and academics, who will enrich the activities of the JEF with their experiences. The forum, which will focus on the new developments in the world in the 21st century, will be quite different from the past 10 forums in terms of the topics of discussion,” JEF Chairman Majed bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi told Arab News on Friday.
“Since its inception, the forum has greatly contributed to the development of Jeddah as a distinctive city on the map of global forums. It has further promoted the city as the commercial capital of Saudi Arabia and highlighted its role as a major center of finance, trade and economy in the Middle East,” he said.
Governor of Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency Muhammad Al-Jasser will be the keynote speaker on the first session on Sunday carrying the title “the impact of global forces.”
BBC World news anchor Mishal Husain will be the moderator in the session. Erdogan will be the main speaker in the second session on the same day.
Minister of Commerce and Industry Abdullah Zainal Alireza will also speak on the occasion.
Chairman of King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies Prince Turki Al-Faisal is the main speaker of the third session.
Speakers in the fourth session, “The Great Transformation,” include dean of Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy National University of Singapore Kishore Mahbubani, US Undersecretary of State for Economic, Business and Agricultural Affairs Robert Hormats.
Speakers of Monday’s sessions on the theme “The State as Equity Partner” include Director General of Saudi Arabian Airlines Khaled Al-Molhem and Executive Vice Chairman of Bank of America Richard McCormack.
Hail Gov. Prince Saud bin Abdul Mohsen will also participate in Monday’s sessions.
Chairman of JCCI Saleh Kamel, Governor of Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority Amr Al-Dabbagh, and CEO of the National Commercial Bank Abdulkarim Abu Al-Nasr are among the notable speakers in Tuesday’s sessions. The first session on that day will discuss the future of Islamic finance in the 21st century.
“Decision makers from different parts of the world will share their experiences and ideas with the participants in the 11th JEF with the aim of achieving greater strides in local and global economy,” JCCI Chairman Saleh Kamel told Arab News on the eve of the forum’s opening.
