An Arab strategic conference in Dubai has much to talk about, writes Mohamed Darwish from the UAE Dubai is to host the Arab Strategic Conference, an event the UAE city is billing as one of worldwide importance and one which will gather several global notables, possibly including former US President Bill Clinton. The three-day conference, beginning 13 December, has chosen "The future of the Arab World until 2020" as its name. Items on the agenda include possible scenarios for the future of regimes in the region; the possibility of genuine democratic change in these countries; the future of Islamic movements; and the impact an Arab presence will have on the international community over the next 15 years. The conference may also shed light on what is being planned for the region in the framework of the Greater Middle East Initiative, the regional blueprint envisaged by the America of President Bush. Speaking to Al-Ahram Weekly, Nabil Al- Youssef, deputy chairman of the conference's organising committee, said the conference had "consolidated its standing as the perfect forum for discussion and the exchange of opinions and ideas. "The participation of prominent political leaders, the chairmen of international companies, officials and academics from throughout the world will serve to enrich debates over the dangers and strategic challenges facing countries of the region, giving decision- makers the chance to study realistic visions for the future and the challenges and opportunities it contains." The conference has not disclosed the names of the participants, preferring instead to release snippets of information. Still, a large advertisement that appeared in a UAE newspaper invited those interested in participating to listen to Clinton's address, something that suggested Clinton would participate although no official statement has been released. What has been confirmed is the participation of Prince Turki Al-Faisal, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to the United Kingdom, Buthaina Shaaban, the Syrian minister of expatriates and Madeleine Albright, the former US secretary of state. They will be talking during the conference's first session -- The Arab World in 2020. They will discuss the new world order and the position of the region in this new order; the ability of Arabs to help effect the formation of an international order; the possible repercussions of globalisation on the Arab world, especially in politics and security; the future of Islamic movements from the perspective of their relationship with incumbent regimes; and the policies that should be adopted by Arab countries to contain the impact of the current regional climate. In the second session, Ahmed Maher, the former Egyptian foreign minister, and Prof Francis Powell from Chicago University will speak about the development of political regimes in the region. This session will address the factors that will be decisive for the future of the region's political regimes. Al-Youssef said the subject of this year's conference, scenarios of the Arab world in 2020, "is something of great interest throughout the region. We expect participation that reflects this interest by private and public sector officials from member states of the Gulf Cooperation Council and other Arab countries, as well as representatives of prominent international institutions and organisations." On the first and second days of the conference there will be a diverse and integrated series of workshops that will use interactive debate and discussion to provide an in-depth look at political, security and economic issues in light of widespread changes in the Arab region, and the emergence of a new generation seeking to expand the horizons of its knowledge and play a more effective role in the future. The conference's third and last day will be reserved for the discussion of social issues, such as human development in the Arab world by 2020; the information society and the technology and information revolution; and whether the information society will remain a long- term goal for the region since, the theme states, all educational systems, social infrastructures and economic challenges stand in the way of developing an information economy. The last day will also include a session on Arab job markets in 2020, the population explosion and the war of abilities. The core issue is the rise in the number of young people entering the job market, coupled with the failure of policies designed to limit population growth, both leading to the rise in unemployment. The main engines of the economy, says the subject theme, have been unable to generate employment opportunities that meet the demand, whilst the current education system is not equipped to provide the necessary skills to students. The conference will end with a session entitled "The rise and fall of states and organisations", discussing pioneering sectors that work to shape a better future for Arabs, studies that benefit from the experiences of other countries with regards to political and cultural renaissance, progress and the limits of responsibility, and the role of Arab thought in shaping a better future for Arabs. The conference will be held under the auspices of Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al- Maktoum, crown prince of Dubai and the UAE minister of defence. The crown prince will give the inaugural address.
