UAE entrepreneurs to drive debate at Leaders Business Forum

Faisal Belhoul and Ibrahim Belselah will become foundations members of Al Rouad - a group of Arab business pioneers and leaders who will play a leading role in the forum.

Leaders in Dubai Business Forum attracts thousands of senior executives from around the Gulf each year and features some of the world's most renowned business, political and military leaders.

Mr Belhoul is chairman of several UAE business groups and associations, including the UAE Private Hospitals Council, the UAE Private Schools Councils and the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Equipment Business Group in the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI). He also is a member of the Young Entrepreneurs Organisation (YEO) and the Young Arab Leaders (YAL). Mr Belhoul started his senior management career with the Dubai-headquartered Belhoul Group of Companies and led the transformation of the group. By 2001 it had successfully reinvented itself as a regional asset management company with investments in private and public equity and real estate. The following year he spearheaded the creation of the private equity company Ithmar Capital and has seen its Ithmar Fund I grow significantly in value over the last two years.

The second of the UAE representatives, Ibrahim Belselah, is no stranger to events such as the Leaders in Dubai Business Forum 2006 and was general co-ordinator for Dubai 2003, the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank. He sits on the boards of several UAE and international corporations and spent almost 20 years as the director of finance for the Dubai Municipality.

Mr Belselah was the sole government representative in the issuing of the first UAE governments bond that set the platform for Dubai's development in the capital market and was on the start-up committee for Dubai e-government

The two Dubaians and the other Al Rouad members will join seven prominent international business, military and political leaders including Queen Noor of Jordon; the former head of Disney Corporation; Michael Eisner; India's renowned corporate strategist, C K Prahalad; economist and business forecaster, Harry S. Dent Jnr; the man considered the world's greatest creative thinker, Edward de Bono; and other big names.

Event director Alan Kelly said the creation of Al Rouad (Leaders and Pioneers) as a centrepiece for the forum was designed to drive debate, thought and business leadership throughout Corporate Arabia.

"The concept was developed after feedback from across the GCC - both from speakers and delegates - that the time was right to facilitate discussion among the finest business leaders in the region.

"The strength of the line up of the initial six members of Al Rouad speaks for itself. We are proud to have Mr Behoul and Mr Belselah as part of Al Rouad. They will be joined by Maha Al-Ghunaim, the founder, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of Kuwait investment bank, Global Investment House; Esam Janahi, Chief Executive Officer and board member of Bahrain's Gulf Finance House; Yousef Al Essa is CEO of Addax Investment Bank, Bahrain; and Ibrahim Al Asmakh, chairman of the Regency Group in Qatar.

"All of them have proved themselves as influential leaders throughout the Gulf and have an important role to play in the business forum," said Mr Kelly

While the Al Rouad members will not be keynote speakers they will be shoulder-to-shoulder with the international leaders in round table discussions during the Forum and take a high profile in the lead up to the event.

The Leaders in Dubai Business Forum 2006 will be held November 28 and 29 at the Dubai International Convention Centre.