World Economic Forum meetings in Jordan commence

More than 1,000 participants from 53 countries will attend the meetings centered on the theme "Seizing the Moment".

The co-chairs of the meetings are Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Nestlé, Brian C. Bruce, Group Chief Executive, Murray & Roberts Holdings, South Africa, Victor L. L. Chu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, First Eastern Investment Group, Hong Kong SAR, Ibrahim S. Dabdoub, Chief Executive Officer, National Bank of Kuwait, Maurice Lévy, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Publicis Group, Marilyn C. Nelson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Carlson Companies, USA and Lubna S. Olayan, Chief Executive Officer, Olayan Financing Company, Saudi Arabia.

Two-thirds of the participants, more than 500, are leaders from the world of business. The remainder is from politics, academia and civil society. 66 percent come from the region itself, 19 percent form Europe and 12 percent from the United States.

Held under the theme "Seizing the Moment", leaders from business, politics and civil society will be challenged to respond to popular demands for improvement in their daily lives through wider political participation, improved economic opportunities, and greater peace and stability throughout the region. The World Economic Forum hopes that these meetings will act as a platform to help leaders focus efforts to capitalize upon the current climate of change and opportunity in the region.

The Meetings will begin with an Arabic version of a Town Hall Meeting, an 'Al Liqa al Maftooh'. Attendees will be asked to focus on the changes needed to safeguard long-term growth and stability in the Middle East. The Town hall approach will reflect not only the priorities of key decision-makers but will also directly address the concerns and aspirations of the people of the region. Participants will use voting technology and engage in roundtable discussion to share ideas and produce recommendations which will inform subsequent discussions and shape the overall outcomes of the meeting.

The programme of the meeting will touch upon the following sub-themes:

• Driving Economic Growth - the vital role of the private sectors to play in the future of the region through creating jobs, spurring economic development and reducing dependence on natural resources. Issues such as regulatory reform, project financing, trade liberalization and the integration of capital markets with a special focus on banking, infrastructure, tourism and energy, and growing links with Asia will be tackled.

• Fostering Peace and Security - the interlinked nature of regional and global politics that influences the prospects for peace and stability in the region. The meeting will take a multi-stakeholder approach to these issues, convening political leaders from the region and beyond along with representatives of the private sector and civil society.

• The Middle East and the World - the position of the Middle East in its relations with the rest of the world in 2005 and how the Middle East can communicate a positive "brand" to the world.

• The Reform Agenda - evidence to support a broad spectrum of reforms in pursuit of greater transparency, openness and development, and the need to create 80 million jobs by 2020 to account for young and growing populations.

• Society and Change - the importance of culture, the role of young leaders and entrepreneurs, the role of the media, prospects for modernizing education and the place of women in society.