World Bank set to promote its work across Middle East in advance of annual meetings in Dubai

The recently appointed World Bank Liaison Officer to Dubai 2003, Mr. Olivier Lafourcade, will coordinate the awareness programme. He will work from the Dubai 2003 offices until the Annual Meetings to help coordination between the Bank and the host authorities for the global gathering of the international financial community.

Dubai 2003 General Coordinator Ibrahim Belselah and Mr. Lafourcade share the belief that the Annual Meetings offer an opportunity to directly communicate the work of the World Bank to Governments and business leaders across the Middle East.

Mr. Belselah said: "With the Annual Meetings coming to an Arab country for the first time this is an excellent opportunity to communicate the role of the World Bank to the region. We will work together with the Bank to ensure that we can achieve an effective programme of meetings across the Middle East and ensure the widest possible communication of the bank's activities both in the region and around the world."

"The meetings are a tremendous opportunity for the region and will also provide an excellent opportunity for the world's media to carry a positive image of both the Arab region and the work the Bank is undertaking. It is also important for the education of young people here in the UAE and wider region to understand the importance of how economic stability plays a crucial role in contributing to political stability."

Olivier Lafourcade, who has worked with the World Bank for many years, says he is delighted to have the opportunity to be based in Dubai on behalf of the bank and undertake a vital liaison role for Dubai 2003.

"One of the important issues for the Annual Meetings is to ensure that they have a lasting legacy here in the region, especially with the effort and commitment made by the Governments of the UAE and Dubai into making this such a successful event," says Lafourcade.

"We want to ensure there are sustainable long-term benefits for the region and the Bank's operations here. One area that is already being addressed is the Global Development Learning Network that has already been discussed with two UAE universities to help establish effective distance learning opportunities in the region," he added.

He explained that the World Bank's global agenda is also evolving and the Annual Meetings would be an opportunity for the Bank President and Board of Governors to provide new guidance for many issues relevant to the Middle East including governance, the environment, poverty and education.

This year, the Annual Meetings will be held on September 23 and 24, and the overall event will be held from September 18 to 25, 2003.

The Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund were first held in Washington DC in 1946. They are hosted by an international city one year in three. The UAE and Dubai were selected because of their highly developed transportation and logistics infrastructure, growing importance as a financial hub and its established position as an oasis of opportunity.