Dr. Eric Schmidt and Dr. Youssef Boutros Ghali named as co-chairs for Arab Strategy Forum

Dr. Eric Schmidt and Dr. Youssef Boutros Ghali will join five other leading Arab personalities in their initiative to support the forum's activities and raise its awareness on the global platform.

Nabil Al Yousuf, Vice-Chairman, ASF Organising Committee, said: "We are pleased to have Dr. Youssef Boutros Ghali and Dr. Eric Schmidt among ASF's high-profile panel of top government and business leaders. They will play a vital role in positioning ASF as the 'think tank' of the Arab world that seeks to create opportunities from change.

"Through their participation, they will act as ambassadors to raise awareness of the strategic direction the Arab world is taking among a regional and international audience."

Dr. Eric Schmidt joined Google as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 2001. His contributions and achievements steered Google to gain recognition as the world's largest search engine.

His prior experience at Novell, where he led the company's development as Chairman and CEO, resulted in a 20-year record of achievement as an Internet strategist, entrepreneur and developer of cutting-edge technologies. Under his leadership, Google has grown to more than 5,000 employees worldwide, with a management team that represents some of the most experienced technology professionals in the industry.

H.E. Dr. Youssef Boutros Ghali has held the post of Minister of Finance, Egypt, since July 2004. His career in politics dates back to 1986, and his wealth of experience has taken him through numerous key roles which have helped to contribute to the development of the Egyptian economy.

Earlier, Dr. Ghali was Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister and the Governor of the Central Bank of Egypt for seven years. He has also worked as a Senior Economist for six years at the International Monetary Fund. In 2006, he received the Emerging Markets Award for Finance Minister of the Year from Emerging Markets magazine, Euromoney. Dr. Youssef Boutros Ghali holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from Cairo University and obtained his doctorate in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

In addition to Dr. Eric Schmidt and Dr. Youssef Boutros Ghali, ASF will be co-chaired by five other prominent entrepreneurs and industry experts from the Middle East region including Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid Al Qassimi, Minister of Economy, UAE; Prince Faisal bin Salman, Executive President, Saudi Research and Publications Company; Mohammed bin Hamad Al Madhi, Vice Chairman and CEO, SABIC; Akbar Al Baker, CEO, Qatar Airways and Maha Al Ghunaim, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, Global Investment House.

The Co-Chairs will work with the event's participants and through ASF on supporting planning and development processes in the region.

Focusing on four distinct tracks - Governance, the CEO Agenda, Arab Society and Socio-Economic - ASF has become a holistic, interactive medium fostering change and innovation.

ASF 2006 will be held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. It is expected to bring together over 600 global leaders to discuss key issues impacting the Arab world. Among those participating in this year's event will be influential personalities from the region's commercial, government and civil society sectors, and internationally renowned politicians and business leaders.