WEF to help entrepreneurs at ‘Open Forum’

AMMAN — Dedicated to discussions on entrepreneurship, the World Economic Forum (WEF) on the Middle East and North Africa is holding an "Open Forum" one day prior to the global gathering, according to organisers.

The gathering, which is the first of its kind, will be held in Amman on Thursday, May 18, in a bid to encourage dialogue and spread awareness on issues central to the global economy through a platform where ideas, thoughts and questions can be exchanged and tackled in an open environment, organisers said in a statement to The Jordan Times.

In addition, the forum will offer new opportunities to people from the region to foster better networking and employment opportunities. 

A new partnership between the WEF and the International Finance Corporation, titled Startup4IR, seeks to create a community of the 100 most promising start-ups across the Arab world. 

Under this partnership, the start-ups will be invited to connect with leading CEOs and policymakers to help solve the region’s most pressing challenges, the statement said.

The WEF will also be releasing a number of publications on the future of jobs in MENA, the new economic context for the Arab world and enabling a generational transformation, as well as a number of humanitarian issues.

Jordan is scheduled to host the WEF meeting for the 9th time since the Kingdom first hosted the global gathering in 2003. 

The event will be held at the Dead Sea between May 19 and 21, in cooperation with the King Abdullah II Fund for Development.

Under the theme “Enabling a generational transformation”, participants will discuss building inclusive economies, enabling collaborating innovation, empowering youth and supporting humanitarian efforts and diplomatic dialogue, according to the forum’s agenda.

The meeting will bring together over 1,000 government, business and civil society leaders from over 50 countries, according to the forum’s website.

Their Majesties King Abdullah and Queen Rania and HRH Crown Prince Hussein are expected to attend the meeting, as well as Prime Minister Hani Mulki, ministers, and a large number of representatives of private institutions and civil society organisations in various sectors.