Technology earmarked as key in regional growth

Mohammed Al Gergawi, chairman of the Forum's organising committee, said technology enables growth in productivity which enhances economic development : "As developing or emerging markets, the 31 countries that comprise the region under the spotlight at the Forum must ensure that they are positioned to reap the benefits that IT can bring to the table.

"This is paramount in both the public and private sectors where corporations and governments must be ready to adapt and leverage the opportunities that will present themselves as new technologies emerge."

Gergawi's observations are up for discussion on the final day of the three-day meeting, when leading voices representing business, government and academia are scheduled to debate how the uptake of technology can drive competitive positioning.

Speakers include technology forecaster and author Paul Saffo, currently director of the Institute for the Future; Dr Mohanbir Sawhney, professor and director of the Center for Research in Technology, Innovation and E-Commerce at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University and Paul Romer, one of the world's leading economists and the father of "new growth theory". Romer is also professor of Economics at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

In a session dedicated to the leveraging of technology, Sawhney and Romer take the stage with Ian Taylor, ex British Department of Trade & Industry minister responsible for IT, now executive director of UK's Interreghum, an IT investment and development company and Member of Parliament for Esher and Walton.

The trio are expected to roadmap the actions that regional markets must take to ensure a leading position as technology influences the way in which corporations and economies compete.

All three speakers have received international acclaim for their roles in accelerating IT development, least not leading author and award-winning professor, Sawhney who was named by Business Week (May 2000) as one of the 25 most influential people in e-Business. He was also spotted by the editors of FORTUNE who invited him to their Brainstorm 2001 conference as one of the "smartest people we know".

While Romer's 'new growth theory' suggests the developed world should look to transferring knowledge and people resources not always cash to 'third world' nations. Romer too is widely acclaimed for his work and was elected a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2000) in recognition of his distinguished contributions to economics.

With IT leveraging an engaging topic, the global business sector is expected to display weighty representation with top level attendance confirmed by financial and consulting firms Goldman Sachs, Investcorp, Gulf Investment Corporation, Booz Allen Hamilton and PricewaterhouseCoopers, as well as numerous other diversified companies such as UK's BP, Hong Kong's Hang Lung Development Company, Egypt's ARTOC Group and US based Oracle Corporation.

Gergawi said: "The Dubai Strategy Forum will discuss Information Technology of the future and its continued impact on the global economy, thus our region. IT is here to stay and it will play a major role in global development."

The region comprises North & East Africa, Central & South Asia, and the Middle East, including the Gulf States.

He said the Forum stands as an example of the emirate's appreciation that this region sits on a portion of the world's GDP that, at just five per cent, or US$1.5 trillion, is positioned for notable growth. He suggested that the countries involved have a responsibility to enhance the region's collective influence on the global economy.

"Dubai is just the convener; the Forum is a meeting for the region, by the region, and will encourage dialogue, discussion, as well as debate, aimed at creating workable strategies geared to our mutual bottom-line success"

He stressed that knowledge sharing by leaders among leaders is key: "The Dubai Strategy Forum 2002 is the platform to stir action. The meeting is structured to encourage complete freedom of speech and opinion among the 50 plus speakers, panelists and expected 1,000 delegates."

Supporting Dubai Strategy Forum as Organising Partners 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.

In addition, activity sponsors include Booz Allen Hamilton, General Motors, Mashreq Bank, Oracle, Jumeirah Beach Residence and Visa.

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