Georg Schmitt, Head of Corporate Affairs, Public Engagement, Email: georg.schmitt@weforum.org
· The Kingdom of Jordan aims to build on the foundation of its young population to spur economic growth and innovation, with “broad partnerships” at home and internationally
· Stability and sustainability in the MENA region and sub-Saharan Africa depend on inclusive economic growth, and enhanced cooperation among nations, said President of Nigeria Buhari
· World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa, taking place in Jordan on 6-7 April, brings together more than 1,000 leaders of government, business, civil society, faith and academia
· Find more information about the World Economic Forum and follow the meeting
Dead Sea, Jordan, 6 April 2019 – The Kingdom of Jordan aims to build on the foundation of its young population to spur economic growth and innovation, said H.M. King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, in the opening plenary session of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa, taking place at the Dead Sea.
“Our most important strength is Jordan’s high-skill human capital,” said the king. “Our young people are globally connected, tech-savvy, fluent in multiple languages and determined to succeed. They are proven assets to every enterprise. And we have already seen this strength at work, in the success of Jordan’s ICT industry, which has created thousands of new jobs and accessed markets across the region and beyond.”
H.M. King Abdullah II added: “Women are a critical part of our economic future.”
Reflecting on the theme of the meeting, Building New Platforms of Cooperation, the king stressed that “It takes a broad partnership to create a platform for economic growth – private-sector investment and productivity at every level, including small and medium-sized enterprises; a public sector that supports business confidence and economic success; and global partners to flow investments into positive futures.”
Muhammadu Buhari, President of Nigeria, picked up on the theme of cooperation. “In this digital age where physical borders no longer exist to protect even the most secure nations, the only way to overcome predatory and divisionary forces is for all well-meaning nations to work together for the greater good of mankind,” he said. “Simply put, cooperation among sovereign nations is no longer a choice. It is an absolute necessity.”
The Nigerian president stated: “In the last 10 years, the world as we knew it has completely changed” due to factors such as technology, demographic shifts and migration, trade and geopolitics, and climate change. Countries of the MENA region and sub-Saharan Africa have had to combat terrorism, including the threat of Boko Haram in his country.
On the topic of economic diversification and social inclusion policies, including efforts to expand the agricultural sector, Buhari noted: “In this new world without borders, my personal view is that stability and sustainability can only be achieved through inclusive economic growth, and enhanced cooperation among nations.”
Antonio Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, New York, said that he hopes that the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa will build on recent official meetings in London and Brussels to help bring “growth and prosperity” to Jordan and the rest of the region. Guterres also called for “a two-state solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict “with Jerusalem as the capital of the two countries.”
The UN leader added: “The most systemic challenge we face today is climate change.” While noting recent extreme events around the globe, such as fires in California and flooding in Mozambique, he drove the issue home by noting the “increased water stress” in Jordan and the rest of the region. “It is high time that we have more urgency and ambition.” The UN will host a climate change summit in New York in September. “I am asking leaders to come not with speeches, but with plans” for mitigation, adaptation and finance, he said. “Countries like Jordan that do not contribute that much to climate change cannot be among the biggest victims.”
In his welcoming remarks, Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, outlined what he called “five platforms for cooperation” that will shape the meeting at the Dead Sea: New economic and social models; the Fourth Industrial Revolution; entrepreneurship and innovation; environmental stewardship; and peace and reconciliation.
“The future cannot be built by government alone, or by business alone, or by civil society alone,” Schwab said. Instead, he called for “more inclusive and collaborative ways in which to tackle common challenges.”
The World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa is being held at the Dead Sea in Jordan on 6-7 April in partnership with the King Abdullah II Fund for Development (KAFD). The meeting marks the 10th hosted by Jordan since it was first convened at the Dead Sea in 2003. It is bringing together more than 1,000 government, business and civil society leaders from over 50 countries.
The Co-Chairs of this year’s meeting are: Khalid Al Rumaihi, Chief Executive, Bahrain Economic Development Board, Bahrain; Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the United Arab Emirates; Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of Tourism of Egypt; Alain Bejjani, Chief Executive Officer, Majid Al Futtaim Holding, United Arab Emirates; Wafa Ben-Hassine, MENA Policy Counsel, Access Now, USA; Sumantra Chakrabarti, President, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), London; Tony F. Chan, President, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia; and Sigrid Kaag, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands.
For more information on the meeting, visit: http://wef.ch/mena19
Join the conversation online using our official hashtag: #mena19
Become a fan of the Forum on Facebook at http://wef.ch/facebook and https://www.facebook.com/WEFMENA/
Follow the Forum on Twitter at http://wef.ch/twitter & https://twitter.com/WEF_Arabic
Follow our coverage of the event on Instagram: http://wef.ch/instagram
Read the Forum blog at http://wef.ch/blog
View upcoming Forum events at http://wef.ch/events
Subscribe to Forum news releases at http://wef.ch/news