Jordan Times
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Awadallah urges private sector to register for World
Economic Forum
So far the total number of
Jordanian private sector participants is the least among participating Arab
states
By Rami Abdelrahman
AMMAN — Minister of Finance Bassem Awadallah on
Monday called on the private sector to increase its participation in the
upcoming World Economic Forum (WEF) to be held in May.
Awadallah, who has been in charge of the WEF portfolio since its first
extraordinary meeting in 2003, said so far the total number of Jordanian private
sector participants is the least among participating Arab states.
“The number of Egyptian and UAE businessmen who have registered for the WEF is
huge... Kuwait and Palestine increased their participation, but Jordanian
businessmen remain the least represented so far,” he said, during a Sunday
evening meeting with representatives of the private sector and other potential
participants.
The minister added that Jordanian businessmen benefit from a participation
discount, which has dropped from $6,000 to $2,500 per participant.
Scheduled to take place at the Dead Sea between May 20-22, the WEF summit will
be focussing on the most pressing political and economic issues in the region,
he said.
“This year's theme, Seizing the Moment, will focus efforts to capitalise upon
the current climate of change and opportunity. Participants 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,” according to the WEF website.
“If the present moment is not seized, the Middle East will have missed a unique
window of opportunity,” said Frederic Sicre, managing director of the WEF and
acting director in the Middle East.
Awadallah said the summit will be preceded by a meeting of Nobel Prize winners
in Petra, and followed by a meeting of Arab education ministers with their G-8
counterparts. The participants of these meetings will also participate in the
WEF.
This year's summit is held under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah, and
will be co-chaired by Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, vice-chairman and chief executive
officer of Nestle-Switzerland, Brian C. Bruce, group chief executive of Murray &
Roberts Holdings-South Africa, and Victor L. L. Chu, chairman and chief
executive officer of First Eastern Investment Group-Hong Kong.
According to Awadallah, this year's meeting will focus on Jordan's vision 2010,
current regional political events, relations between Arab countries and the
European Union, water, education, tourism, governance, finance, media and other
topics of regional and international significance.