UAE sends strong high-level team to WEF’s Davos meeting

The UAE party will be led by Mohammed Al Gergawi, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, and Obaid Al Tayer, the Minister for Financial Affairs.

Chinese president Xi Jinping, centre, reviews the guard of honour next to Swiss president Doris Leuthard upon his arrival for a state visit. Mr Xi begins a two-day state visit to Switzerland before heading to Davos to address the World Economic Forum. Fabrice Coffrini / AFP
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Arabian Gulf countries will be strongly represented at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF), which begins in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday.

Top-level delegations from Saudi Arabia and the UAE form the biggest contingents from GCC states among the 3,000 global leaders travelling to the Alpine town for the gathering of policymakers, business leaders, intellectuals and celebrities.

This year’s meeting – under the headline theme of “Responsive and Responsible Leadership” – comes at a crucial time in global affairs, after a number of shocks to the geopolitical system last year. Donald Trump will be inaugurated as the 45th president of the United States towards the end of the five-day meeting.

It will be the first ever attended by a Chinese head of state, with president Xi Jinping leading a large contingent from the People’s Republic.

But Davos 2017 also comes at a crucial time for the Gulf.

Saudi Arabia, the region’s biggest economy, is in the midst of a period of transition as it tries to reduce its dependence on oil in the new reality of historically low energy prices.

The Saudi delegation will be led by Khalid Al Falih, the minister of energy and chairman of Saudi Aramco, as well as the minister of finance, Mohammed Al Jadaan, and Ahmed Alkholifey, the governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, the kingdom’s central bank, who are all involved in the strategy to reduce huge budget deficits.

The UAE party will be led by Mohammed Al Gergawi, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future, and Obaid Al Tayer, the Minister for Financial Affairs. It will include Noura Al Kaabi, the Minister of Federal National Council Affairs, Thani Al Zeyoudi, the Minister of Climate Change and Environment, and Hussain Al Hammadi, the Minister of Education.

Also representing the UAE at the annual meeting will be Najla Al Awar, the Minister of Community Development; Younis Al Khoori, the undersecretary of the Finance Ministry; Sami Dhaen Al Qamzi, the director general of the Dubai Department of Economic Development; and Aisha bin Bishr, the director general of Dubai Smart City.

The UAE has played an increasingly prominent role in WEF affairs and last year Dubai hosted the inaugural meeting of the Global Future Councils, where Mr Al Gergawi pledged to set up the first permanent policy unit to study and implement measures regarding the Fourth Industrial Revolution – the transformation of business and society brought about by technological advances.

Among the UAE non-government sector leaders represented are Alain Bejjani, the chief executive of Majid Al Futtaim; Badr Jafar, the chief executive of Crescent Enterprises; and Arif Naqvi, the chief executive of Abraaj Group.

There are also smaller delegations from Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.

The meeting – the 47th held by the WEF – will focus on four critical leadership challenges for 2017: reimagining global cooperation, revitalising the global economy, reforming capitalism and preparing for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

WEF said: “The most diverse participation ever at an annual meeting will contribute to discussions and help design solutions, with one-third of all participants coming from outside Europe and North America, and one-third representing society outside of business and government.

In keeping with the theme and its four challenges, over half of the 400 sessions on the programme at this year’s meeting will address the issues of social inclusion and human development.”

Klaus Schwab, the WEF’s founder and executive chairman, said: “The world around us is changing at unprecedented speed. At this tipping point, our traditional concepts of society, meaningful employment and the nation state are challenged, and many understandably feel insecure or even threatened.”

Among celebrities in attendance at the meeting are the actor Matt Damon and the singer Shakira, both espousing humanitarian causes they will seek to advance in Davos.

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