World responds in volume to Dubai Strategy Forum call for input on region's challenges

Submissions focusing the topic 'How can our region meet its key challenges?' have been received from all five continents representing participants of more than two dozen countries including Africa, Algeria, Austria, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Japan and New Zealand.

In addition, numerous entries have received from authors located in the Arab world, including the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Iraq.

According to the Forum's chairman, Mohammed Al Gergawi, the essay competition, with a deadline of October 15, was initiated in an attempt to open the doors to world dialogue on major issues facing this region.

This in line with the Forum's theme this year, Creating Networks of Growth. which focuses on the opportunities and challenges facing the region comprising 1.8 billion people, 31 countries and a combined Gross Domestic Product (GDP) estimated at US$1.5 trillion.

"The author of the winning 2,000 word submission will receive a US$ 5,000 prepaid Visa card and will be invited to attend the Forum in an all-expenses-paid trip to Dubai," he said.

Peter Scriven, general manager of Visa International in the Middle East, also expressed Visa's delight in the volume of entries received.

"We are thrilled with the breadth of the response to date. There have been submissions from as far afield as Rio de Janeiro, San Jose and Osaka, confirming the competition's role as a key vehicle to broaden the channels open to dialogue on crucial issues that face the greater region and have an impact on the global economy.

"As a recognised global brand that is involved in people's everyday life, we have long-since been engaged in cross-border business strategies to great success and are particularly encouraged knowing that a key aim of the Forum is to encourage positive change thus giving something back to the community," he said.

At the Forum, (October 28-30 2002 in Dubai) the author of the winning essay will join more than 1,000 of the region's government and business leaders, along with key representatives from academia, media and civil society.

Gergawi said they will engage in open dialogue on the future of the region, which embraces North & East Africa, Central & South Asia, the broader Middle East, including the Gulf States. He confirmed that His Highness, General Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and UAE Minister of Defence, is also scheduled to play a key role at the three-day meeting.

"The region that is dubbed 'the third world' by many economists and media, actually houses one third of the world's people and is ripe to develop opportunities to impact the global economy," he said.

"However, such opportunities do not come without challenges and it is the management of these challenges that we have selected as the topic of the essay competition."

The Dubai Strategy Forum initiative, kicked off last year, stands as an example of Dubai's appreciation that the region has nearly one-third of the world's people, but only five per cent of its total wealth.

Consisting of more than 20 sessions and workshops over three days, the Forum is driven by key categories of government, business and technology.

The first day of the three-day event, which will be held at the purpose-built Convention Centre at Jumeirah Beach Hotel, will focus on how governments need to evolve, if not revolutionise, their approach and culture to better fit the demands of economic and commercial growth.

Day two will spotlight economic and business issues, including an innovative look at how a country's strategic development can benefit from the global strategies of multinational corporations.

The final day sees innovation & technology under the spotlight, as well as a panel discussion to close this year's event. The panel is set to comprise business, media and opinion leaders from home and abroad and addresses the question 'What will the region look like in five years?'.

In addition to Visa, the meeting has also attracted the attention of other leading brands on board as Organising Partners to help steer the Forum in achieving its goals.

These are : Dubai Media City, the rapidly emerging global media hub; ENOC, a leader in upstream and downstream activities in the oil and gas sector; Emirates, the UAE's national airline; the GCC's leading English newspaper, Gulf News; National Bank of Dubai, Dubai's national bank and PricewaterhouseCoopers, the international firm of auditors and business advisors.

Activity sponsors include : Booz Allen Hamilton; General Motors; Jumeirah Beach Residence; Mashreq Bank and Oracle.

The Essay competition is open until October 15, 2002. Participants may submit their work via a special microsite link to the Forum's dedicated website, which also expands on competition guidelines, - www.dubaistrategyforum.ae. The winning essay will be featured in future Dubai Strategy Forum publications.

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