HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum opens 40th IAA World Congress and Exhibition

Attended by more than 2,000 delegates from 67 countries, the Congress broke all previous attendance records prior to its opening day.

Welcoming the speakers, delegates and other guests on behalf of HH Sheikh Mohammed, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of the Department of Civil Aviation and Chairman and CEO of the Emirates Group, called on the regional and international industry representatives present to begin a dialogue to discover and communicate an accurate image of the Arab world.

"We are certainly more connected than ever before, but the challenge that faces us now is to use those connections to the best of our ability and for the good of us all," Sheikh Ahmed said.

"As recent events show, we can no longer afford to presume the world knows who we are and what we stand for. We have to develop our image, one that accurately reflects who we truly are and what we do here. We have to channel that image, to ensure it reaches as many people as possible. And then we have to listen."

In the current geo-political climate, he added, Dubai is the perfect place to address the Congress theme - Challenges of Change.

"It seems the more we develop as an international city, the more we become part of the global village," Sheikh Ahmed said. "This is truly an auspicious day for Dubai as it marks the beginning of a conversation between you, the global communications experts, and us, a people and a land that want to engage with the world."

"Here in Dubai, we have access to some of the best and brightest minds in the region and from around the world," he added. "The time is right for us to tap into this creativity, and take up the challenge of growth to create a city that is truly unique in the world: not just a city made of glass, steel and concrete, but a city made of ideas, creativity and opportunity."

Joseph Ghossoub, the new IAA Chairman and World President, echoed Sheikh Ahmed's comments in his inaugural address.

"The IAA has more in common with Dubai and the Arab world than you could imagine," Ghossoub said. "Both of us need to reinvent ourselves, and each of us can learn from the other."

"This Presidency is not mine alone, but a beacon for the Gulf, the Middle East and for all who practice in the region to talk to the world and an opportunity for the world to talk to us," he added. "If we use this opportunity properly, we can be in much better shape than we are at the moment."

The opening session of the 40th IAA World Congress and Exhibition also featured addresses from a number of high-profile speakers including Jihad Azoour, Finance Minister of Lebanon; Jose Maria Aznar, the former prime minister of Spain; and Tateo Mataki, CEO of Dentsu, one of the largest advertising agencies in the world.

Organized by the UAE Chapter of the IAA under the chairmanship of Mohammed Al Gergawi, UAE Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs, the Congress and Exhibition offers a unique business-to-business opportunity for advertising agencies and media companies from around the region and the world to network, share best practices, demonstrate their creative edge and highlight award-winning work.

Platinum sponsors of the Congress include Gulf News, CNN, Dubai Television and Motivate Publishing, while Gold Sponsors are Dentsu and EMAAR. Silver sponsors include the Chouieri Group, MBC, BBC World and Al Ittihad, while Khaleej Times, Dubai Duty Free, AME Info, FedEx and Arab Media Group (AMG) and Al Wataniya have Bronze sponsorship status. The 40th IAA World Congress is held in association with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce & Industry and Dubai Media City.

While the Congress and Exhibition are taking place, the IAA will play host to an exhibition of public service advertising (PSA) campaigns from around the world under the banner of 'Great Ads for a Better Future.' The exhibition, which includes posters, print advertisements, TV spots and reports from companies, NGOs and international organizations, will be on display in the main concourse of the Dubai International Convention Centre and is open to the general public, free of charge.

The 40th IAA World Congress and Exhibition continues until Thursday, March 23, 2006.