Blueprint unveiled for independent Arab-International Think-Tank in Vision Village project in Bahrain

Addressing a press conference in London today, immediately after attending the World Economic Forum in Davos as a Young Global Leader, Mr. Esam Janahi, Chairman, Bahrain Financial Harbour; said: "The Vision Village, an entirely focused initiative, is being launched so that world opinion could be steered in a progressive and pragmatic direction about the changing face of the Arab world, creating better awareness globally."

Mr. Janahi, who is also the Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Finance House Group B.S.C (GFH), one of the leading Islamic investment banks in the Middle East, also serves on the boards of several other companies and financial institutions, including Gulf Finance House Commercial Bank (GFHCB) of which he is the Vice Chairman.

Mr Janahi said, "The Young Global Leaders meeting and the World Economic Forum, offered me an ideal platform to interact with key influencers from across the world, and convey the importance of this Think-Tank of knowledge-based specialists. We have been extremely encouraged by the response that this initiative has received from various quarters, including key Arab leaders, associations, central governments and influencers from across the globe, as well as, from the Young Leaders present at the Davos summit.

"We are confident that it will emerge as a true bridge-building initiative between the Arab and the rest of the world and would receive the active support of many more governments and global influencers."

Among other things, the Think-Tank will also be responsible for planning, developing and evolving a robust growth strategy for a series of Centres for Excellence (CoE) within the Vision Village. The crucial component of this Think-Tank will be its 'mentoring' initiative, aimed at developing an entire generation of informed global leaders from the Arab world.

Vision Village's Centres of Excellence (COE), under the able guidance of the Central Think Tank, would aim at providing an enabling environment to ensure that all ideas and innovations are followed through to their logical conclusion. These Centres would provide Vision Village with the necessary tools to achieve its vision of creating Global Leaders and bridging the Knowledge divide between the Arab and rest of the world

The components of the Vision Village are:
1. Centre of Excellence in Media,
2. Centre of Excellence in Technology,
3. Centre of Excellence in Education and Training,
4. Centre of Excellence in Business & Finance,
5. Centre of Excellence in Events and
6. Centre of Excellence in Leadership.

While the independent and non-partisan Think-Tank will start actively functioning in three months' time, the Vision Village project, a forerunner for creative blend of novel concepts, will be ready by the year 2008.

Located in the Bahrain Performance Centre, a key component of the Bahrain Financial Harbour, Vision Village will, in its initial stages, be promoted by Bahrain Financial Harbour. However, once instituted, the Think-Tank will be completely independent in all its spectrum of activities. The Vision Village, on the whole, will act as a beacon, nurturing the hopes and ambitions of the Arab and international communities in various fields including developing global leadership in new business, technology, culture, and political paradigms.

Exhorting the international community to participate in this knowledge-based enterprise, Mr Janahi said, "Our collective future depends on creating a society in a liberal and pragmatic environment that will act as a stimulus to resourceful individuals in any part of the world."

The Think-Tank will be nucleus of the Vision Village featuring key global and regional Arab leaders, intellectuals and opinion-makers in the areas of finance, technology, politics, education and public affairs. The Think-Tank will act a comprehensive centre for global influence and will be responsible for initiating sustained process of dialogues and exchange between Arabs and the rest of the world.

"The Vision Village will provide a stimulating environment for thought leadership and will act as a knowledge repository to breed of cream de la cream professionals," said Mr Janahi.