Egypt will once again host the World Economic Forum next year, writes Mohamed El-Sayed After a successful round in Sharm El-Sheikh last year, the Red Sea coastal city will host the Davos World Economic Forum (WEF) gathering in 2008. On Monday, Minister of Trade and Industry Rachid Mohamed Rachid and WEF General Manager André Schneider signed the protocol of hosting the next round of the showpiece event. The summit, scheduled for next May, is expected to attract an even larger number of international figures and decision- makers than the 2,000 who attended the event in 2006. Entitled "Learning from the future", the next gathering will focus on pivotal issues such as the bilateral relations between Middle East countries and the European Union. This is in the wake of French President Nicolas Sarkozy's proposed initiative to further cooperation between the northern and southern Mediterranean countries. The forum will also concentrate on Palestinian-Israeli relations, and how best to achieve peace and development in the region. "President Mubarak is keen on making the Davos World Economic Forum in its second round in Egypt a success," declared Rachid, following the signing ceremony which was attended by senior government officials and a plethora of businessmen. "Holding the forum for the second time in Sharm El-Sheikh proves the world's confidence in Egypt's pioneering role in the region." It is also "international acknowledgement of the Egyptian government's success in the economic and political arenas," he added. Rachid continued that the successful 2006 round showcased the tourism and transportation sectors' ability to organise big events, and that Sharm El-Sheikh is an international meeting point. For his part, Schneider noted that the forum was a means to formulate a scenario for the future of the Middle East but holding "an active dialogue aimed at drawing a future picture of development in the region." He added that delegates will also debate energy issues in light of sky-rocketing oil prices, as well as finding alternative energy sources. Other topics of discussion will be how best to support negotiations on world trade liberation, in addition to the role of technology in promoting development in the countries of the region. Both Minister of Information Anas El-Fiqi and Minister of Tourism Zoheir Garana pledged their support to make the event a success. El-Fiqi promised to provide participants with all the media services they need, while Garana committed to put all venues at the disposal of the organisers to accommodate their needs. "The forum had a great influence on the national economy by helping raise foreign investments [in Egypt] from $2 billion three years ago, to $11 billion in the last year," stated Garana. Asked whether Iran will be among the invitees, Rachid said the organisers were the ones responsible for inviting delegates, while Schneider stated that the forum would send invitations to all important parties in the region, including Iran. "The main goal of the forum is to debate all issues without any sensitivities," said Schneider.
