Jeddah Economic Forum 2012 was successful although it did not include high-profile speakers, a top JEF official said at the conclusion of the forum Tuesday. “The forum's success is measured by the importance of the subjects discussed and not by the popularity of the speakers,” said Saleh Kamel, Chairman of Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and President of JEF. He said that the forum in the past has invited very high-profile speakers such as Mahathir Mohamad, former Prime Minister of Malaysia; Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey; and Queen Rania Abdullah of Jordan. Speakers this year were more specialized with experience in both private and public sectors. “This year's forum focused on youth issues and Prince Khalid Al-Faisal was keen on listening to the youth as was noticeable to all,” said Kamel. He also thanked the media for their positive coverage and for not searching for mistakes. He said some media organizations do not help the forum when they destructively highlight only its failures without mentioning the benefits gained from it. “We are not perfect,” said Kamel. “We do not seek compliments from the media, but we also do not want to be destroyed by unfair criticism.” “The most disturbing stories we hear about the forum are based on false allegations,” he added. He stressed that the forum's organizers fear God in their activities. __
