To be held under the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, from October 28-29 at the Mina A’Salam Hotel, the event will also mark the launch of the Arab Knowledge Report, a joint endeavour by the Foundation and the United Nations Development Programme.

Dr Sulaiman Al Hattlan, CEO of the Arab Strategy Forum, said, “As a prominent knowledge-based platform, the Forum gathers a wide array of Arab and international thought leaders to discuss vital issues in the Arab World. The first regional event in Dubai will lay the ground for intense and insightful discussions on a comprehensive list of topics covering a range of regional issues.”

Following the inaugural ceremony, the first day’s proceedings will include a plenary session that will see prominent personalities discussing two critical topics – ‘Knowledge Gaps and Enabling Environments for the Knowledge Society in the Arab Region: Where are the Flaws?’ and ‘Foundations and Mechanisms of Action for Building the Knowledge Society in the Arab Region’.

In addition, John P. Keegan, chairman and president, Charles Edison Fund, Edison Innovation Foundation, US, will address participants on ‘Tangible Innovation’.

The second day will feature four workshops on ‘Innovation: the Road 
to Knowledge Society’, ‘Transfer or Indigenisation of Knowledge?’, ‘Information and Communications Technology: the Bridge for Intercommunication and the Reform Axis of the Modern Knowledge Society’ and ‘Education 
and Formation of Knowledge Capital: Have Arabs built their required knowledge capital?’.

Dr Hattlan added, “With an impressive array of thought leaders and decision makers speaking on a varied agenda, we hope to maximize the involvement of our participants, offering them an opportunity to network and exchange expertise to contribute to the development of our society.”

The Dubai event will host prominent speakers including Dr Maitha Salem Al Shamsi, UAE Minister of State; Dr Ziad bin Abdullah Aldrees, Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador and Permanent Delegate at UNESCO; Dr Ali Fakhro, Bahrain’s former minister of education; Dr Turki Al Hamad, Saudi thinker and writer, and Dr Taher Kanaan, managing director, Jordan Center for Public Policy Research and Dialogue, Jordan. —