World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa

Welcome to our live coverage of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa 2019, taking place at the beautiful Dead Sea in Jordan.

We'll be here to guide you through the next two days of sessions and other highlights from around the meeting. So sit back and enjoy as we go on this journey together.

For more information on how to follow the meeting on our social media channels, take a look at this useful guide.

It's a packed schedule today, with around 20 sessions live streamed on our website and a whole lot else besides.

Before the first session kicks off, in about 25 minutes or so, take a look at this article by Mirek Dusek, the Forum's Deputy Head of the Centre for Geopolitical and Regional Affairs, for an in-depth look at the key challenges facing the region.

"The Arab world is a region of two contrasting systems. One system features a dynamic private sector, digitally native youth and open economies. The other has a bloated public sector and closed, controlled economies," he writes.

"How these two systems interact - and whether the dynamic, forward-looking system can thrive while respecting the traditions of the Arab world - is among the most important issues the region is facing today."

Read the full article here.

Our first livestreamed session of the day is one of two opportunities to meet the co-chairs of the #mena19 meeting.

There are eight co-chairs this year, and first up we'll hear from:

Wafa Ben-Hassine, Counsel, Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Policy, Access Now, USA.

Tony F. Chan, President, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia.

Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of Climate Change and Environment of the United Arab Emirates.

Alain Bejjani, Chief Executive Officer, Majid Al Futtaim Holding, United Arab Emirates.

The co-chairs will share their expectations and perspectives on the theme 'Building New Platforms for Cooperation'.

Dr Chan penned this great piece for us ahead of the meeting, on how MENA's universities can transform the region into the next big tech hub.

The second co-chairs briefing will follow at 6.30 GMT.

Climate change is a huge challenge for the region. Thani Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, the UAE's Environment minister, says: "The UAE is known as a hydro-carbon region .... but we have a plan to diversify". The opportunity is huge for the region, he adds, especially for solar. The country has ambitious targets, but a plan to meet them. Investment and technology, changing behaviours and using sources wisely is essential.

If we don't act, the minister adds, then 40% of species in the region will be gone. And this has huge implications for the economy and other areas.

Urban planning needs to be re-strategised, the minister adds, to take into account the changing climate, including possibly learning from history and how people used to design communities.

We really need a broader vision to take the MENA region forward, says Majid Al Futtaim's CEO, Alain Bejjani.

"Most of the multi-lateral systems that have been governing our world globally are in question ... and have fallen short in bringing the right solutions to the problems we are facing," he says. We need to bring the region together economically and from a business perspective, he adds.

Access Now's Wafa Ben-Hassine says she is optimistic about the future of this region. One of the biggest challenges, however, is the failure to understand that data is an extension of who we are, and this is a global problem, not just one affecting MENA.

This impacts everything from data flows, financial inclusion and how we use certain data and machine learning, she adds. That information is part of you as a human being, and we have seen countless examples of abuse data and data breaches.

Wafa Ben-Hassine says she sees hope in the younger generation here that they will bring a new way of doing things. We still want to use that data, but we want to do it responsibly and build constructively, she adds.

On the panel:

Hamoud Almahmoud, Editor in Chief, Harvard Business Review Arabia (Moderator)

Tony F. Chan, President, King Abdullah University

Ghassan Hasbani, Deputy Prime Minister, Lebanon

Maysa Jalbout, CEO, Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education

Marita Mitschein, SVP, Digital Skills, EMEA, SAP

John Sexton, President Emeritus, New York University

Ghassan Hasbani noted that there is a need to adapt public education to utilize technology to makes education more accessible.

“Basic technology can be used to help advance education, particularly at the literacy level,” he said.

Tony Chan echoed Hasbani, noting that it's important to incorporate technology into developing new standards of education. He said that the recipe is to be forward looking and global. But also to take a multi-generational approach.

“In many parts of the developing world, the quickest way to be part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution is to import technology. But if you don’t develop indigenous capability it’s not sustainable,” he said.

Marita Mitschein notes that although the MENA region has the highest rates of unemployed youth, many are in fact educated. Many have obtained Bachelors degrees overseas, but return to the region and can't find employment.

She notes that we don’t know what jobs will look like in 30 years, so it is important to go back to basics for young people to adapt now for the future of work.

“I think we have to give them [young people] critical thinking, creativity and problem solving skills ...The thinking part has to come back,” she said.

Maysa Jalbout highlighted a need to de-stigmatize vocational education to ensure that unemployment rates go down.

“We need to make sure that when we think about education we think about all the options that are available. It doesn't end with university education, it’s about continuous learning,” she said.

She added that education is simply about preparing young people to enter the job market.

"It's about serving humanity," she said. Educational institutions have a responsibility to prepare youth to learn how to solve problems that directly affect them and contribute positively to society, Jalbout said.

Background reading:

The number of out-of-children school in MENA has declined from 15 million in 2008 to 12.3m in 2015.

But there are still 22 million children in the region who are either out of school or at risk of dropping out.

How can public-private cooperation create a new standard for education to prepare youth for the next generation of jobs?

Read more about higher education in the Middle East.

Our second session with the co-chairs is about to get started. In this briefing, you'll hear from:

Sigrid Kaag, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation of the Netherlands.

Sumantra Chakrabarti, President, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), London.

Khalid Al Rumaihi, Chief Executive, Bahrain Economic Development Board, Bahrain.

Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of Tourism of Egypt.

Dutch minister Sigrid Kaag says ambitions for the region are high. The potential of the region, despite the risks, the conflict, is high.

In terms of the European Union, the member states have a shared history and a shared destiny with MENA. We need more exports, more trade and more intra-regional trade, and to build on the partnerships already in place, which will create jobs and foster greater cohesion between both regions.

The Bahrain Economic Development Board's Khalid Al Rumaihi, says that in the Middle East, economies are dominated by the public sector, and we need the private sector to play a role. In fact, we need a new private sector to play a role.

MENA has just seen its first unicorn, he adds, and start-ups need to be able to scale up in the region.

What are the biggest challenges facing the region? EBRD's Sumantra Chakrabarti says challenges are also opportunities. The number one challenge is growth that creates jobs, he says. High youth unemployment is not good for any economy, as it leads to tension.

The SME sector, including start-ups, need more help to get up and running and become entrepreneurial, he says. Meanwhile, the service skills in the region to boost the tourism sector is also currently lacking, he adds, so we need to be able to develop skills in the region to the needs of individual countries.

Join us for the Opening Plenary of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa 2019.

On the panel:

Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum

H.M. King Abdullah Il bin Al Hussein, King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

Antonio Guterres, United Nations Secretary General

Muhammadu Buhari, President of Nigeria

During the summit, over 1,000 key leaders from government, business and civil society will meet to discuss some of the most pressing challenges facing the region.

Klaus Schwab, opened by remarking that he is proud to be back in Jordan for the 10th annual summit on the Middle East and North Africa.

He noted the innovative and ongoing partnership with Jordan and the region for the last few decades.

Highlighting a number of critical focus points, Schwab noted the importance to develop platforms of cooperation, paying attention to environmental concerns and harnessing the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

"Only those countries who really recognise that in the time of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, innovation is the most important competitive factor, will succeed in the future," Schwab said.

H.M. King Abdullah Il bin Al Hussein, communicated a commitment to tackling key issues facing the region.

"It takes a broad partnership to create a platform for economic growth, private sector investment and productivity, at every level," he said.

Mentioning opportunities to flourish, the King referenced the growing tourism sector, as well as burgeoning industry in the context of the Fourth Industrial revolution.

"Across all sectors, reforms are on the way to support and foster a healthy business climate," he said. "We will continue to back innovation and enterprise from start-ups to the global leaders that have made us a base."

Antonio Guterres, praised Jordan for its leadership role in accepting and hosting refugees from the region.

"Jordan has demonstrated exceptional kindness to people fleeing upheaval in Palestine, Syria and elsewhere, with enormous impact on Jordan's economy and society," he said.

Guterres also noted the important role that Jordan is playing at a broader global level.

"It is a pillar of United Nations peacekeeping, was several operations and generous contributions," he said.

Guterres went on to note the huge and dangerous impact of climate change. He called for more urgency of reaping the benefits of climate action and securing a global commitment to safeguard vulnerable regions and countries.

"Countries like Jordan who do not contribute much to climate change cannot be the victims of other countries," he said.

Muhammadu Buhari, outlined the dramatic shifts and shocks over the last decade, noting that the Middle East and Africa have been most affected.

Buhari reflected on the movement and migration of peoples as a result of a lack of socio-economic inclusion, citing Nigeria in particular.

While outlining challenges, Buhari also pointed to opportunities.

"We are determined to industrialise Nigeria, leveraging our competitive advantage," he said. "We recognise the private sector as the agent of growth."

He went on to note that the Middle East is a natural partner for growth and prosperity.

Background reading:

Read more: The key questions and challenges facing the region.

Entrepreneurship is booming across the Middle East and North Africa.

In 2018, $900 million was invested across the region in 386 deals, an increase of 31% in total funding in 2017.

To highlight this, earlier this week we released a list of the 100 most exciting start-ups in the Arab world.

This article takes a closer look at 10 of the start-ups that are helping to solve several of the region's most pressing challenges, from camel milk antibodies to the region's first unicorn.

And to see the full list, launched in partnership with the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) - click here.

One of the biggest challenges facing the Arab world is how to create enough jobs for a burgeoning youth population.

According to the International Monetary Fund, about five million workers enter the Middle East job market every year, and the percentage of the population under the age of 25 ranges from 25% in Qatar to 50% in Oman.

In this article for our blog platform Agenda, Deloitte's Middle East CEO Omar Fahoum writes:

"As the largest employer (and often the employer of last resort) for a growing and youthful population, governments face a daunting scenario: efficiency gains through automation and artificial intelligence ... versus the potential shrinking of the government workforce, with employment consequences for a key segment of the population."

How to solve this challenge? Have a read of the full post here.

Global geopolitical shifts and changes are affecting the region's security landscape across MENA. What are the implications for the future of key fault-lines, including Syria, Libya, Yemen and Israeli-Palestinian relations?

On the panel:

Ayman Al Safadi, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan
Yusuf Bin Alawi Bin Abdullah, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Oman
Elias Bou Saab, Ministry of National Defence of Lebanon
Sigrid Kaag, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands

Hadley Gamble, CNBC (Moderator)

Ayman Al Safadi, noted that there are a number of regional issues that need to be addressed, including the Syria conflict and the refugee crisis.

"When we talk about refugees, providing them with a dignified life, meeting their needs, is not just a humanitarian answer to the problem," he said.

Speaking on terrorism in the region, Elias Bou Saab said it requires "open dialogue" and a "look at how we communicate with each other to end this conflict in the region."

On Iran and Saudi Arabia, Al Safadi said that there's no need for regional conflict.

"What Saudi Arabia wants, Jordan wants," he said. "The interest of the whole international community, that is for relations to be based on internationally established principles of noninterference and respect for sovereignty."

Sigrid Kaag, notes while Europe is engaged in regional conflict and resolutions, that MENA countries should lead efforts in partnership with the European Union. She emphasised that this "is not a new colonial era."

"We often support the international actors, mostly UN-led efforts, and we want them to succeed, mostly on the humanitarian track," she said.

"International law, the maintaining of international law, it is critical, she added."

Kaag pointed out that regional powers need to have accountability towards citizens in addressing oppression and absence of progress.

She added that there are resolutions adopted and violated on a large scale and the call for many young people and citizens of this region is for their elected leaders to act.

"Politics without justice and justice without politics, that won't work," she said.

Despite the challenges, Bou Saab notes that he is hopeful and positive about resolving regional conflicts.

"I think empowering young people as we are doing right now, we should continue to do that, and that will make them think differently to make the changes that are necessary," he said.

Background reading:

Read more on how Arab women leaders are changing the face of diplomacy across MENA.

Live now over in our press conference room is a session with the CEO of the Afghanistan government, Abdullah Abdullah.

There are two priorities for Afghanistan this year, he says.

First, the peace process supported by the US, where some progress has been made but there is much work to be done.

Secondly, elections, presidential plus provincial, in 2019. The people of Afghanistan deserve for these to be open and fair, he says.

What is his message to the young people of Afghanistan? They have sent us their message, he says. They want peace and to enjoy their rights, and an environment to achieve their potential.

It's time to for the private sector to emerge in the country, he adds. "We do consider the private sector as a partner in growth and they are playing their role ... to look at the potential of Afghanistan I think it's time to look at is seriously in terms of the private sector."

What are the key risks facing the MENA region? Earlier this week we released a report on this very topic.

The Middle East and North Africa Risks Landscape looks in-depth at risks such as climate change, energy price shocks, water scarcity, conflict and other challenges countries in the region will have to work to overcome in the coming years.

For a summation of what is in this report, take a look at this article by our Forum colleague Ariel Kastner.

Increased female participation in the workforce could add $2.7 trillion to the region's economy by 2025. Policies are bringing about societal change, but what else is needed to unlock the full potential of Arab women?

On the panel:

- Mariam Al Foudery, Agility
- Sofana Rabea Dahlan, Sofana Rabea Dahlan Law Firm
- Dina Mired, Union for International Cancer Control (UICC)
- Sahar Nasr, Ministry of International Cooperation of Egypt

- Hani Ashkar, PwC (Moderator)

Saudi Arabia’s first female lawyer Sofana Rabea Dahlan described that it took 13 years for her to get qualified due to gender discrimination. But she says through persistence and patience she obtained her licence.

“It taught me that we have to have patients in our people, in our systems, we have to have be able to open the dialogue, no matter how long it takes,” she said.

Dina Mired points out that there is more that companies can do to support professional women and men who choose to become parents.

"Society should really support the family, and currently, the way businesses work and so on, it is not really supportive of a family friendly environment," she said.

Mariam Al Foudery echoes this noting that supportive organizational culture is key to professional development. She says she realized how much her company valued her the that day she delivered her first child.

"The day that I went to the hospital to deliver my child, was the day that Agility made me senior vice president," she said. "So I knew my company had my back."

Sahar Nasr said that it is important for government ministers, such as herself, to keep striving to amend laws that undermine women.

"These are the things that we review as policymakers and this is where Parliament lays an active role and there has to be an article where people just get access," she said.

Dahlan noted that it is important to open dialogue around unconscious bias to get people to introspect and stay open.

"We cannot just stick it in their face and say they are biased because they will be resistant and will fight to prove that they are not and it will still be there," she said.

To counter discrimination Al Foudery said that women need to demonstrate excellence.

"I think especially in a private-sector environment, which does reward talent, and does reward ability, because that is the foundation of profitability, there is a role for being excellent," she said.

Background reading:

Read more about creating jobs in the Middle East.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres spoke in our Opening Plenary earlier on today, and he had a strong message for world leaders planning to attend the Climate Action Summit in September.

"It is high time for urgency and more ambition," he said. "This is why I am convening an Climate Action Summit in New York in September, and I am telling leaders, don't come with a speech - come with a plan!"

Forty-percent of the world's refugees come from the Middle East and North Africa and the region's population is set to grow by 100 million people over the coming years.

How can reconciliation be supported? And how can that be followed by reconstruction?

On the panel in this session, we have:

Joel Rayburn, Deputy Assistant Secretary and Special Envoy for Syria, US Department of State.

Seyed Salih Al-Hakim, Director, Al-Kalima Center for Dialogue and Cooperation.

Leena Al Olaimy, Co-Founder and Managing Director, 3 BL Associates

Ghassan Hasbani, Deputy Prime Minister of Lebanon

Alain Bejjani, CEO, Majid Al Futtaim Holding

First question for the panel - what comes first, reconciliation or reconstruction?

"We cannot have reconstruction without having community stability and peace," says Seyed Salih Al-Hakim.

"Cooperation must be based on the joint interests, the common interests. Without this type of stability and peace we cannot have reconstruction ... So peace in the community is the basis of reconstruction."

Joel Rayburn turns the conversation to the impact ISIS has had on the region. "The US-led coalition, along with our local partners including the Syrian democratic forces, have been successful at destroying the physical caliphate of Daesh. But we haven't said that that is the end of the story with respect to Daesh."

"We have to keep the pressure against Daesh so they can't reconstitute themselves and present a new threat," he adds.

So why isn't the US involved in the reconciliation process, asks the session's moderator.

Rayburn disagrees and argues that in fact the US is involved. "The difference in the Syrian conflict is between those who believe that their aims can be achieved through a military solution and those who believe that there can only be a political solution to the Syrian conflict," he says. "The United States is firmly on the side of the belief that this conflict has to be solved politically."

"None of the parties to this conflict can get to their end goal through military means. After more than eight years of conflict that reality should have sunk in by now," Rayburn adds.

"There will be no military end to the conflict because the causes of the conflict were political and social. That means they require a political and a social solution."

Leena Al Olaimy says: "You can remove a leader, change a policy and end a war but what happens the next day? The societal conditions, the economic inequalities, the racial tensions are still very much there and can take generations to overcome ... If we want to look at a more ambitious vision of peace which is a positive state of flourishing, acceptance, equity, equality, that needs to be built before we actually reach conflict.

"We need to be peace-building rather than looking at conflict and reconciliation as a point of departure."

"A lot of these youth are not joining extremist movements for ideological reasons," she adds. "They're joining because of unemployment, they're joining because they can't afford to get married, they're joining because they were politically marginalised."

As the role of women in Middle Eastern workplaces changes, here are five pragmatic steps that organizations can take to help ensure diversity is not simply another corporate buzzword, but becomes embedded within their DNA.

Head on over to our Instagram account for more highlights from the meeting, including a quiz on the MENA region. We'll keep the story rolling throughout the weekend.

Think you know the answer to this question? Follow our account to find out...

That's a wrap for the first day of our meeting here at the Dead Sea. We'll be back again for another day of sessions and other highlights bright and early tomorrow.

Here's a recap of some of the key remarks from the opening session earlier on today.

See you tomorrow! 👋