Powell to address Middle East diplomacy at Leaders in Dubai

Powell, who has just been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his effort to end Sudan's civil war, will be in the region to discuss the power of diplomacy and the path towards peace in the Middle East. Central to his speech will be the strategies needed during times of great change or great crisis.

Powell said: 'Difficult situations are there to be worked on and solved, but not for walking away.'

During his time as Secretary of State to the Bush administration, Colin Powell garnered respect from both his own party, the Republicans, for his track record and success in the Cabinet, as well as the opposition for his moderate stance on military matters.

Powell refuses to dwell on past decisions and said: 'The only use I have for regret is that I learn something from it. I always look at a failure or something that should have happened differently solely from the context of what have I learned from this because I can't go back and do things differently.

'Use your front windscreen, not your rear view mirror.'

Throughout his time in government, Powell pressed for the use of diplomacy to resolve a crisis.

When asked how he wanted to be remembered, he said: 'As a good public servant; somebody who truly believed in his country, loved it, and served it to the best of his ability.'

Powell has maintained that he will not run for President, saying:

'I've never had any political ambitions: I realise I had an obligation to serve my country and I always wanted to do that. But I did not have the passion you need to be really successful in political life.'

The theme for this year's Leaders in Dubai Business Forum is 'Change and Innovation', and the programme's seven headline speakers will include: Michael Eisner, former chairman and CEO of Disney; Lou V. Gerstner, former head of IBM; and Her Majesty Queen Noor of Jordan.

Every speaker will appear live on stage at the event, which will be held in the Dubai International Convention Centre, November 28 - 29.

Leaders in Dubai Business Forum is the largest annual meeting of successful like-minded individuals in the region and more than 2,000 delegates are expected to attend and discuss the issues and challenges presented in an era of accelerating change and innovation.

The forum is organised by IIR, the world's leading business information company.