Ammon News - AMMAN HRH Princess Sumaya bint El Hassan, President of the Royal Scientific Society, has delivered the closing address at a high-profile conference held as part of the UK's Presidency of the G8.

The two-day meeting of the G8's Deauville Partnership With Arab Countries in Transition, was hosted by the British Foreign Office at Lancaster House in central London on June 25th and 26th.

Addressing the theme of the role of Arab women in global and regional economies, HRH said the talent, drive and compassionate creativity of half of the Arab World’s population must be utilized to the full to increase the pace of development.

She added that the conference had helped bring to the fore what women in the Arab World are achieving in business and other areas.

She added that young women in the Middle East need strong role models to guide and encourage them: "Women in our region need to feel connected to one another and to the world beyond. They must receive the education and the motivation that they deserve so that they may thrive." The Princess was praised by the British Foreign Office and Commonwealth Minister for the Middle East and North Africa, Alistair Burt, for her inspiring speech.

The conference brought together private sector and government representatives from across the Deauville Partnership countries which comprise the G8, Egypt, Jordan, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia and Yemen and regional partners, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait.
(Petra)