Ammon News - AMMONNEWS –– The World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa will open at the Dead Sea on May 24, under the title: "Advancing economic growth and resilience."

Held under the patronage of His Majesty King Abdullah II, the three-day meeting attracts 900 global and regional leaders and prominent figures in the fields of industry, trade, media and civil society.

Participants will discuss economic and developmental issues of urgency at the international and regional levels, in light of the deep political transformations in the region and the global economic slowdown.

This is the seventh time that Jordan hosts the Forum’s regional meeting, in partnership and cooperation with the King Abdullah II Fund for Development (KAFD).

Hosting the Forum at the Dead Sea contributes to promoting Jordan as a stable and attractive destination for job-generating investments, several experts said.

KAFD Chairman, Dr. Omar Razaz said that “as an organizing partner, we make sure that the themes of the Forum are relevant to Jordanian priorities, including governance, public-private sector partnerships, job-creation mechanisms, youth empowerment, encouraging entrepreneurship and increasing investment in infrastructure.”

Several leading economic figures in the region will co-chair this year’s sessions. They include National Bank of Kuwait CEO Ibrahim Dabdoub, Consolidated Contractors Company CEO Samer Khoury, and Saudi Arabia’s SABIC CEO Mohammad Al Madi.

Preparatory sessions will take place in Jordan throughout May, such as The Young Global Leaders and the Global Agenda Council meetings to brainstorm on themes, initiatives, and projects to be incorporated into the Forum’s agenda.

The Jordanian organisers’ priority is to facilitate the participation of Jordanians in the Forum’s sessions, especially young entrepreneurs who can benefit from rich networking opportunities.

The Forum provides a significant intellectual and media platform to discuss economic, political and development issues and produces reports and indicators that measure performance and competitiveness. In addition to the Middle East meeting, the World Economic Forum organises a series of other specialised regional meetings, including on East Asia and Latin America.