Global Competitiveness Forum welcomes former President of Singapore and other high profile keynote speakers

The Godfather of Global competiveness theory, Professor John Porter, of Harvard University, Minister of International Trade and Industry of Malaysia, Y.B. Dato Sri Rafidah Aziz, and Mr. Johan Chambers, Chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems, will also make keynote speeches. The announcement was made today at the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority, the forum's organisers.

The above well known figures will join some 50 corporate and political leaders, who will address competitiveness as an Engine for Economic growth from different perspectives and setting priorities for the improvement of investment environment making use of the globally recognised case studies on this track.

Discussion on the first day sessions will be moderated by Professor John Quelch, Lincoln Filene Professor and Senior Associate Dean of Harvard Business School. - and will be led by Professor Michael Porter, Mr. John Chambers, Professor Stephane Garelli, Director, IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook, Mr. Alan Boekmann, Chairman & CEO, Fluor and Mr. Y.B. Dato Deri Rafidah Aziz, Minister of International Trade and Industry of Malayia.

For the first time, the world-class forum includes a fully dedicated session to address issues of local competitiveness in Saudi Arabia and strides made by both government and private sectors to improve business and investment environment in the Kingdom. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: What's Next will be the theme to be address in the speeches of keynote speakers and government officials in KSA including, H.E. Dr. Hashim Yamani, Minister of Commerce and Industry, H.E. Eng. Mohammed Jamil
Mulla, Minister of ICT, H.E. Mr. Khalid Al Gosaibi, Minister of Economy and Planning and H.E. Dr. Mohammed Al Suwaiyel, President of King Abdul Aziz City for Science and Technology.

Addressing equitable growth, Mr. Dick Evans, President and CEO, Alcan, James Albaugh, President and CEO, Integrated Defense Systems, Boeing, Tapani Jarvinen, President and CEO OUTOTEC and Professor. Jane Nelson, Senior Fellow and Director of Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative, Harvard University, will provide a deep insight adding environment to the competitiveness equation, understanding strategic implications from having knowledge gaps in education and technology and the importance of social wellbeing in the growth of a nation and how it can be achieved through equitable growth.

Following a lunch break with Professor Porter, Mr. Nimir Kirdar, President and CEO Investcorp, Mr. David Kim, Chairman of Daesung Group and Mr. Gail Fosler, President and Chief Economist, The Conference Board will address various global risks in 2008 including inflation risks and future dynamics of the currency exchange market, development and progression of real estate sector, anticipated future downsides in the financial markets in the global economy, predicting social and political rsiks and their impact on security and understanding how competitiveness can help to uncover and mitigate risks.

This will be followed by discussions on the impact of healthcare on competitiveness which will be led by Dr. Gro Brundtland, Former Prime Minister of Norway and Former Director General of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Dr. Daniel Vasella, Chairman and CEO, Novartis Group. Both will address at what cost healthcare fosters competitiveness and access to innovation of healthcare.

The first day proceedings will wrap up with a final session highlighting the successful experiment of Brazil, Russia, India and China (BRIC) and its importance to global economic indicators and competitiveness. Speeches in this exciting session will be made by Mr. Victor Chu, First Eastern Investment Group, Mr. Azim Premji, CEO, Wipro, Ms. Lubna Olayan, CEO Olayan Group, Mr. German Gref, Former Minister of Economics and Trade Russian Federation and Dr. Axel Claus Heitmann, President & CEO Lanxess. Summay of the day and closing remarks will be made by moderator Professor John Quelch.

Day two sessions will be moderated by Professor Laura Tyson, Haas Business & Public Policy Group. The opening session of the day will address delivering on the life sciences promise, with speeches by Professor Michio Kaku, Theoretical Physicist, Dr. Herwig Brunner, Managing Director, Engineering & Bio-Tech Institute, Mr. Jean-Michel Halfon, Area President, Canada/Latin America/Middle East, Pfizer and Mr. Philip Yeo, Special Advisor for Economic Development, Senior Advisor for Science and Technology & Chairman of Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board. Discussion of the session will lay down a special focus on competitiveness challenges for science and technology.

Shaping the financial landscape, will be addressed in the second session where leading financial experts such as Mr. Aref Naqvi, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Abraaj Capital, Mr. Bruce Fenton, Founder & CEO, Atlantic Financial Inc., Mr. Flanklin Johnson, Founding Partner, Asset Management Company and Mr. Henry Azzam, CEO Deutsche Bank, Middle East and North Africa. Discussions of this session will focus on capital flow in global economy, analysis of the role that venture capital and private equity play as drivers for entrepreneurship and innovation in a nation, how money translates into knowledge and how consolidation trends influence the level of competitiveness of the financial service sector.

The following session will address transport and emerging paradigms in transportation economics. Speeches will be made by Mr. frank Sixt, Executive Director and Group Finance Director, Hutchison Whampoa Ltd., Dr. Hartmut Mehdorn, CEO Deutsche Bahn, Mr. Nigel Turner, CEO BMI, H.E. Eng. Khalid Abdullah Al Molhem, Director General Saudi Arabian Airlines and Mr. Mikhael Makinen, CEO, CARGOTEC. Speakers and discussant of this session will highlight the impact of transportation sector on competitiveness.

The e-economy and technologies value towards achieving competitiveness will be the key focus on a post lunch break session where Sir Terence Matthews, Chairman of Wesley Clover Group, Dr. Werber Brandt, Member of the Board SAP, Mr. Yi Shyan Lee, Minister of Trade and Industry Republic of Singapore and Mr. Anant Gupta, Founding Partner, HCL will talk about transforming e-economy to intelligent economy and how technologies has shrunk the physical world and created a limitless virtual economy.

The final session will address global talent of the future with in depth insights form Mr. mohammed Al Abbar, Chairman, Emaar, Mr. Hector Ruiz, Chairman & CEO, AMD, Mr. Don Thornhill, Chairman, Iraland's NCC, Mr. Yasuyuki Nambu, President & CEO PASONA Inc. and Mr. Neil Bush, Chairman & CEO, Ignite Learning. Speakers of this session will shed the light on responsibilities of corporate players in developing global talent, what are the jobs of future, how to educate and prepare people for tomorrow, today, the role of government in linking talent creation to national competitiveness and why entrepreneurship is the most effective form of developing future talents.

A highlight of the Forum will be the closing address to be made by H.E. Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, Minister Mentor of the Republic of Singapore and moderated by H.E. Mr. Amr Al Dabbagh, Governor of SAGIA. Finally, the forum raps up by a summary of the day by the day two sessions moderator, professor Laura Tyson followed by closing remarks from Dr. Awwad Al Awwad, Head of Saudi NCC

"Being the only and sole conference to address competitiveness globally, GCF 2008 has a talented and diverse range of speakers representing a broad spectrum of the region's political economic and commercial perspectives,"

said H.E. Mr. Amr Al Dabbagh, Governor of SAGIA.

"Delegates can expect incisive presentations followed by lively panel discussions and debates. The forum continues to set the pace for regional events capturing the attention of international and local businessmen and women and continues to grow in importance to the business community and as a prestigious networking gathering," continued Mr. Al Dabbagh

It is anticipated that the forum will be attended by hundreds of the region's leading businessmen and women, government officials and academics, together with many global business leaders and international visitors. "We are expecting to receive business delegations from all over the world", concluded Mr. Amr Al Dabbagh.

GCF 2008 is supported by a range of local and international business giants including Kingdom Holding, Mobily, Boing, Dar Al Arkan, Rakiza, Deutsche Bank, Veolia Water, PASONA, King Abullah Economic City, Bin Laden Group, in addition to media sponsors namely, Al Arabia TV, SRMG and FinancAsia.