And So it Begins…The World Economic Forum!

by Mohammad Azraq (Jordan)

The World Economic Forum is an independent not-for-profit organisation that is based in Geneva-Switzerland, it is committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Every year the World Economic Forum holds a conference dedicated to discussing the Middle East region from an economic perspective and it takes place in the Dead Sea area-Jordan.

The conference this year started yesterday, Friday, May 18, and will end on Sunday,May 20,2007.It began by a speech delivered by His Majesty King AbdullahII of Jordan.

As usual The situation between Palestine and Israel, and prospects of peace in the region were major parts of his speech, however, this time the king tried to address the aftermath of peace, saying ” if we are going to sustain the peace and build on it, then, we need to ask that question: What about the day after peace?”, taking the matter of realising peace as if it was a fact that the people of the region must work on achieving.

Eversince he was proclaimed the king of Jordan, he paid a sincere attention to youth, emphasizing the importance of the human capital for Jordan, as a country that lacks natural resources and has quite nothing but the intellect of its citizen to rely on!.

In his Speech to the Forum he said “ Youth are the largest age group in our region, with more than 200 million under the age of 24. These young men and women deserve to be part of a prospering region that is playing its rightful role on the world stage. I’m talking about every advantage that the 21st century can provide — a good education, fulfilling work, security to raise their families, and more.

Meeting their expectations is our greatest calling, and our generation is rising to this challenge.”

He addressed many critical challenges that face the Middle East, such as water, the environment, and developing a reliable infrastructure that matches that existing in the developed first world urging the attendees-who are leaders in economy, politics, and civil society from accross the region- to discuss these challenges and come up with solutions for the region to cope up with today’s fast changing world and massively globalised economy, saying “One critical challenge is water. From the snowy peaks of the Atlas Mountains to the empty quarter of the Arabian Peninsula, most of our region’s countries cannot meet the current water demand. As a region, if we do not plan how we will meet this most basic need, if we do not commit the necessary investment to resolve this problem, we will not be fighting for peace. We will be fighting for our lives.

We need to rise to this challenge, and I believe we can”.

“The environment is another pressing challenge. When fossil fuel was discovered over a century ago, there were only about one billion people in the world. There are now more than six billion, and fossil fuel is key to life on every continent. As a region endowed with energy resources in abundance, we must lead the way in discovering how to make those resources last longer and burn cleaner”.

“A third key challenge is infrastructure. If this region is to be a strong economic bloc, with greater industry competitiveness, a growing private sector, and sustainable job opportunities, then, a strong, efficient transport and logistics system is a strategic necessity.”

Not only did he address the challenges, but rather as well emphasized the potentials that lie within this region, and the pressing need for change and reform to be realised, reform that is home-grown, that comes from within the people of the region not that imposed from outside, ” Three hundred and twenty-five million people live in the Arab world. Ours is a region larger than Europe, larger than Canada, larger than China, larger than the United States. The benefits and standards of living that these regions enjoy can and must belong to the people of the Middle East.

China, India and other countries that were poor 20 years ago, made tough decisions to move forward, embracing private sector development and globalisation. Their courage brought rapid growth that is reducing poverty and creating opportunity. We are able, if we choose, to match and even surpass their gains.”

I truely loved the following part of his speech, where he drew a bright picture of the future of this region, and I completely share his vision regards it:

“Imagine for a moment: A region powered by 22 strong, growing economies, and energised by a thriving private sector, a highly skilled workforce, and region-wide cooperation, a region that welcomes every young person to adulthood with a good job, and a lifetime of new opportunities, a region with ample, clean water in every home, and a healthy environment that protects its people and its natural heritage, a region that competes at the top of the global marketplace, bringing the benefits of prosperity back to every neighbourhood and family and a region that takes its rightful, proud position in the 21st century, shaping the civilisation and progress of all humanity.

We, all of us here, have the power to make this vision a reality. Let us not put the future on hold, waiting for papers to be signed and the ink to dry, or hoping other countries will help. We, as an entire region, must create the future we choose to have.”