MAKKAH — The first Manafea Forum will be held under the patronage of Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, emir of Makkah and advisor to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, and in the presence of Deputy Emir of Makkah Prince Badr bin Sultan in Makkah on Monday evening. The forum, which will be organized by Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, will be sponsored by Umm Al-Qura Development and Reconstruction Company, the owner and developer of Masar destination. The forum will bring together experts, decision-makers and business leaders with the objective to contribute to achieving the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 and the Guests of God Program. The first edition of the Manafea Forum aspires to contribute to achieving the goals of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 and the objectives of the Guests of the God Program represented in enriching the pilgrim's experience, with a target of reaching 30 million Umrah pilgrims and five million Hajj pilgrims by the year 2030. It also aims to support the promising partnership between the government and private sectors, with the participation of government and private agencies, ministries, organizations, and Saudi chambers. The forum aims to highlight the competitive advantages of the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah, through dialogue sessions, to be attended by the senior officials and decision-makers, which contributes to raising the participation of the private sector in the gross domestic product of the two cities. Another objective of the forum is to strengthen the role of Makkah and Madinah in supporting the "Made in Saudi Arabia" program aimed at stimulating national industries, through "Made in Makkah" and "Made in Madinah" and enabling companies to increase their total contributions to the national economy, in line with the Shareek" program, one of the Kingdom's Vision 2030 programs. Commenting on the objectives of the forum, Abdullah Kamel, chairman of the Board of Directors of Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, thanked Prince Khaled Al-Faisal for patronizing the forum and the deputy emir for attending the forum and his interest in everything that supports creativity and creates new opportunities in the business world and the private sector. He also highlighted the efforts and facilities provided by the emirate to the chamber and the private sector. Kamel stressed the importance of the forum sessions to enhance cooperation and integration between the government and private sectors, in a way that supports the status of Makkah and Madinah as centers of attraction for business activities in the Islamic world. "The Manafea forum is being held to support the tripartite agreement signed between the Makkah Chamber of Commerce, the Madinah Chamber of Commerce and the Islamic Chamber of Commerce Industry and Agriculture in December 2022 with the aim to transform Makkah and Madinah into hubs for financial and business activities in the Islamic world.
