International Design Forum responds to need for more creative industries in Arab world

The relevance of the IDF is further enforced by the launch of the "Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation", at the recent World Economic Forum in Amman, Jordan. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, launched the initiative, effectively putting in place the necessary infrastructure to facilitate knowledge creation and dissemination, as the foundation for a viable and effective knowledge society.

The IDF 2007 is organised by Moutamarat, a joint venture of Tatweer and the Saudi Research and Publishing Company, under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Executive Council of Dubai. The event brings together prominent industry leaders to address a number of challenges facing the design community and to examine how designers can guide the progress of their countries and contribute to future innovations.

Design is inextricably linked to national development, and an understanding of this relationship is the key to understanding the significance of the IDF. Design - as a distinct symbol of growth and development - is the driving force for innovation and creativity, acknowledged worldwide by businesses, governments and individuals alike.

Khalid Al Malik, CEO of Tatweer, commented on the relevance of design to Arab world development: "Since the Arab world is facing critical economic challenges, there is, therefore, no time like the present to join the global debate on design and creativity. This is imperative if the region is to continue its exponential growth successfully and meet the essential aesthetic and infrastructure demands of a burgeoning population."

Sustainable design and development, essentially, are critical if this region is to continue progressing successfully, meeting simultaneously the social, political, economic and infrastructural needs of its people.

With its role of producing unique business knowledge for the Arab world, Moutamarat serves as an example of an organization doing its part to bring His Highness Sheikh Mohammed's' vision to reality. In partnership with leading regional and international corporations and knowledge centers, Moutamarat has developed a prestigious portfolio of conferences bringing together the most influential decision-makers to develop the knowledge agendas of the Arab world.

Al Malik added: "Moutamarat's initiatives are designed to inform the Arab decision-makers with credible, unique and objective data. This will effect a long-term impact on their decisions by involving them in a cumulative and incremental process of knowledge acquisition."

At the heart of Moutamarat's initiatives and events is a select group of regional and international leaders who share its commitment to communicating information and promoting knowledge agendas across the Arab world, capturing data, analyzing key industry sectors and identifying issues affecting industry growth.

These are the driving principles of the IDF, making it Moutamarat's current contribution to the development of a knowledge-based economy in the Arab world.