JEDDAH: For the first time in the history of the Jeddah Economic Forum (JEF), Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Emir of Makkah, is scheduled to enter into direct dialogue with young businessmen, said Dr. Majed Abdullah Al-Kasabi, President of the JEF. In an interview with Okaz/Saudi Gazette, he said the eleventh edition of the forum will be launched on Saturday. Plans are underway to ensure the continuation of the forum into the future. Al-Kasabi said that the forum has kept pace with economic and technological changes over the past 10 years. The forum has also discussed major environmental, economic and social disasters, including the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, the global economic crisis in 2008 and the East Asia tsunami. To ensure the continuation of the forum, a permanent strategic partnership has been signed with King Abdullah University for Science and Technology (KAUST) as an academic partner. An agreement has also been signed with McKenzie International Management as the forum's knowledge partner, to learn from its experience in organizing international forums. Al-Kasabi said there will be a greater emphasis at the upcoming forum on domestic issues to provide local decision-makers with the best possible methods for achieving sustainable development. He said the forum was postponed for one month to ensure it did not clash with the Davos World Economic Forum in Switzerland. Many of those who spoke in Davos will be available at the JEF, he said. This year's three-day JEF is entitled “Changes in the 21st Century”. A total of 42 international, regional and local speakers will address the forum's 11 sessions. The sessions will see dialogue between world leaders and discussions on various topics, including the Kingdom's economic potential, trade, natural disasters and Islamic financing. Al-Kasabi said the forum will help to promote Jeddah and help businessmen establish ties with the world's economists and businessmen. The budget of the forum is SR14 million, with SR1.5 million allocated for speakers, he added.
