Experts from the region to map out blueprint for the Arab world in 2020

The Arab Strategy Forum will form the platform for the discussions, debate and policy deliberations in Dubai from 13th to 15th of December 2004.

"Heads of State, key Cabinet Ministers, chiefs of leading public authorities, non-government organisations, academics, experts, opinion-influencers and decision-makers from the private sector from the world over will gather in Dubai to discuss the future of the Arab world," said Nabil Al Yousuf, Vice Chairman of the Arab Strategy Forum Organising Committee.

The Arab Strategy Forum will be held under the overall theme of 'The Arab World in 2020. "The Arab Strategy Forum will help present a clear scenario of what challenges and opportunities will face the Arab world in its march into the future. We hope to learn from it to plan for a better future for all of us," said Al Yousuf.

Scenarios being developed established think tanks will become the core themes of the discussions. The Forum will discuss and outline what are the key factors that influence the region's regimes and what are the trends in governance. It will also discuss political reform and development and the march towards genuine democracy and the impact of the shift towards transparency.

One of the other subjects to be covered under the overall theme is the impact of internal developments in one country - such as is the case with Iraq presently - on their neighbours and the region.

The Arab Strategy Forum is divided into different sessions on the three days it will be held. The first day will see discussions on 'Security in the Arab World in 2020'. Most Arab countries have developed agreements with countries and blocs outside the Arab world, which has resulted in increased regional tension and instability. Historic border disputes too force increased military spending.

Planning for the future
"We look forward to the delegates and speakers answering some of the questions that we need to know so we can effectively plan for the future," said Nabil Al Yousuf.

The Forum would debate the issue whether 'war on terrorism' has resulted in some Arab countries or institutions becoming the targets for military actions. It will also look at whether an Arab or even a GCC security alliance or bloc is possible by 2020 and how would the Arab-Israeli conflict affect security and stability? What are the economic costs of instability and what would be the effects of a long term US presence in Iraq?

Day Two (14th December) would focus on business and economy with speakers debating 'Globalisation of Economies and Business in 2020 - The Future of Economic and Financial Reform in the Arab World.

Arab countries have implemented major initiatives for economic reform to attract foreign investments and to redeploy privatisation revenues for development. The varied effectiveness of such measures has resulted in major gaps in economic performance between Arab governments. In successful cases, the growth has been mainly government-led. This raises the question about sustainability.

Al Yousuf pointed out that these and other issues will be raised and answered providing regional government ideas on how to adapt and formulate development policies.

The second session of the day will cover the 'Economic and Trade Policies in the Arab World in 2020' and the crucial role of 'Energy in 2020 - The future of Oil and Gas'.

Issues such as an Arab free trade zone and economic integration and the effectiveness of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec), will be dealt with in these sessions, Al Yousuf said.

Critical issues of growth
Arab Strategy Forum discussions on the final day will revolve around social issues with a special focus on 'Human Development in the Arab World in 2020: The Knowledge-based Society and the IT Revolution'.

It is accepted that Arab countries may have failed to take full advantage of the IT Revolution. They have not been able to develop the base of the knowledge-based societies because of historic social, infrastructure and education barriers.

The Arab Strategy Forum will find answers as to how could knowledge-creation be made a part of the region, to find the main shortcomings and to find the solutions to these.

The final day will discuss the Arab workforce in a session on 'Arab Labour Markets in 2020 - Population Growth and the War for Talent'.

The Arab world has a growing youthful population that governments are not able to absorb into productive streams. Economic drivers for job creation have not been able to match the demand and neither the education system has been able to produce the talent required.

The Vice Chairman of the Arab Strategy Forum Organising Committee said: "Effective utilisation of labour and the role of women in the workforce would form to key planks of the discussions at this year's Arab Strategy Forum."

The proceedings will conclude in a debate on the 'The Rise and Fall of Countries and Corporations'.

The closing session will ponder over issues such as the defining of the key sectors to focus on for a better future, and where should one start? It will examine other nation's experiences and experiences of the past to learn form it.

"We have carefully selected the issues of security, politics, governance, transparency, social change, economic reforms, education and labour so we could get a rounded view of key elements of developments from experts who will be gathered at the Arab Strategy Forum 2004," Al Yousuf said.

"We are confident that the three days of deliberations on the issues that broadly affect our societies, will bring dividends that will help us in shaping our future," he concluded.

Eight pre-eminent local and international organisations have come forward to offer their unstinted support for this year's Arab Strategy Forum. The premiere annual event has six Organising Partners and two Media Partners. They are Emirates National Oil Company Ltd (ENOC), Abraaj Capital, PricewaterhouseCooper, DaimlerChrysler Middle East, National Bank of Dubai and Gulf News, in addition to our Media Partners Al Sharq Al Awsat and CNN. The Arab Strategy Forum will provide valuable insights, which will help in improving the status of the Arab World.