Summit on The Global Agenda Opens In Dubai – Aims To Shape The “Post-Crisis World” With Biggest Ever Brainstorming On The Global Agenda

• World’s 700 foremost thinkers meet to address critical challenges
• Meeting to formulate “breakthrough ideas” on more than 60 issues from financial risk to climate change
• The inaugural Summit on the Global Agenda, held in partnership with the Government of Dubai, takes place in Dubai from 7 to 9 November. For more information, please visit www.weforum.org/gac

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – The World Economic Forum, in partnership with the Government of Dubai, opened the inaugural Summit on the Global Agenda in Dubai today. The Summit is a unique and timely gathering of the world’s 700 most innovative and relevant minds – leaders from academia, business, government and civil society from around the world. Organized by the Forum’s Network of Global Agenda Councils, the Summit provides a platform to share ideas and collaboratively address some of the key issues on the global agenda – with the aim of laying out solutions to some of the most pressing issues.

Over the next three days, more than 60 separate Councils will address issues of global importance with the aim of becoming a “brains trust” for solving major international problems. More than 40 Councils will address global challenges from climate change, financial instability and failing states to religious extremism. Some Councils will deal with industry issues including the future of the Internet and the media industry. Other Councils will tackle regional and specific country issues, while expertise Councils will deal with issues such as design, sports in society and philanthropy. Each will address issues in their particular field of expertise, but will also come together over the three days to create a formidable problem-solving network.

Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, will officially open the Summit this evening with H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai.

“This is an exciting and historic venture, made more timely by recent events,” said Klaus Schwab. “The challenges faced by the world today are more complex, more interrelated, more intractable than ever before. Confronting these global challenges requires collaborative thinking, creative solutions and, most importantly, a systematic approach to implementation. These Global Agenda Councils and their deliberations will provide a 21st century approach to dealing with the issues that face us all, from systemic financial risk to climate change. What we need now is an entirely new global cooperation system, and I firmly believe that these Global Agenda Councils and the Summit on the Global Agenda here in Dubai can begin to build the foundations for such a system,” he added.

At the opening press conference, Professor Schwab was joined by Mohamed Alabbar, Member of the Dubai Executive Council and Chairman of Emaar Properties, who outlined the cooperation between Dubai and the World Economic Forum to bring about the inaugural Summit.

“Dubai is the perfect place for such a historic meeting, which comes at a time when the world is facing challenges that have no parallel. As a city, we are global in character and have always been forward-looking. The topics under deliberation at this Summit have a far-reaching impact on the way governments function, businesses are conducted and people meet everyday challenges. The Summit can thus pave the way for a new era of global socio-economic progress,” said Mohamed Alabbar.

The Summit will integrate participants from more than 60 countries from around the world – with thought leaders from the Arab world well represented among the Councils. The outcomes of the Summit will be presented for further discussion and action at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2009 in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, and will help form the Annual Meeting programme. The theme of the Annual Meeting was recently released along with the programme – participants will come together under the theme “Shaping the Post-Crisis World”. Much of the programme, and particularly the first day, will address the outcomes of the Summit on the Global Agenda in Dubai.

Notes to Editors:
The full list of all 68 Global Agenda Councils and the make-up of each Council can be found at the following link:
http://www.weforum.org/pdf/GAC/Final-4_pages_Dubai.pdf
http://www.weforum.org/en/media/PressKitGA2008/index.htm

Dubai TV is the host broadcaster of Summit on the Global Agenda

The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Incorporated as a foundation in 1971, and based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum is impartial and not-for-profit; it is tied to no political, partisan or national interests (http://www.weforum.org).