The participation of world leaders and ranking officials in the upcoming second Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg reflects Qatar's status as a regional and international hub for business, investment, sports and education, Media City CEO HE Sheikh Ali bin Abdullah bin Khalifa al-Thani, who is also the chairman of the supreme committee organising the forum, has stressed.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), he said Qatar is welcoming world leaders, decision-makers and business leaders from around the world, who will participate in the second edition of Qatar Economic Forum, being organised by Qatar in co-operation with Bloomberg from June 20 to 22.
HE Sheikh Ali said Qatar has benefited from its strategic location that connects Asia and Africa and the rest of the world, in addition to its status as an important diplomatic hub, a leader in the field of LNG, and the host of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
He added that the forum will host leading Qatari personalities from the public and private sectors, in addition to international speakers and experts in different fields. Participants will share their expertise on wide-ranging topics in the field of management and discuss the topics on the agenda, such as women's leadership in business, the future of energy, sustainable development, digital transformation, as well as the trends in the global financial system.
He said Qatar is prepared to provide a platform that brings together different members of the international business community, cementing the country's status as an international hub for business, investment and innovation, thanks to its expertise in hosting prominent events in the political, economic, sports, cultural and trade fields. He highlighted in this regard Qatar's infrastructure, in addition to having the world's best airport, airline and air cargo company. He noted that all these factors mean the country can become an international logistical hub that could serve international markets.
On the success of the forum's first edition in enhancing strategic dialogue in the region, he said last year's event attracted 600 speakers. The forum, which was held via video conference, had 11 presidents, as well as ranking government officials, international organisations, corporations and experts from 120 countries.
He said the success of the first edition of the forum reflected Qatar's status as a leading country regionally and internationally, adding that the previous edition would contribute to the success of this important international event for years to come.
HE Sheikh Ali stressed that the Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg provides an international platform for innovation and dialogue between countries, in addition to convening a host of prominent ranking officials, business leaders and experts from around the world who discuss how to face some of the biggest challenges facing the world. He said the 2022 edition will cover a host of important topics in the field of energy, industry, investment, commerce, sports and technology, among other sectors.
On whether Covid-19 had an impact of the forum, he said the pandemic had a direct impact on the development goals of many countries, particularly as the global economy continues to face the impact of the crisis in the form of supply chain disruptions, shortages in labour and raw materials, as well as higher levels of inflation all over the world due to the rise in energy and food prices.
He added that, considering the interconnectedness of the economy, many studies around the world forecast wide-ranging economic impacts that could reverberate across the world. This led to a higher pressure on the level of economic activity globally, which in turn impacted the economic recovery. He expressed confidence that the upcoming edition of the Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg will be a useful stop in trying to understand these developments and hold a dialogue that points the way towards a global economic recovery.
HE Sheikh Ali said the slogan of this year's forum reflects the common global concerns about the inability to achieve a just economic recovery that includes both developed and developing countries, which would lead to a widening of the economic gap in many sectors, especially with regard to the disparity in growth between major international companies and medium, small and emerging companies, as well as the disparity between skilled and manual labour. "Therefore, we can only get out of the economic stagnation caused by the (Covid-19) pandemic by consolidating efforts to bridge the gap by strengthening the bonds of close cooperation between governments," he told QNA.
"During the pandemic, we have witnessed exacerbation of inequalities, especially among the most vulnerable population groups such as women and children, who are likely to be affected by the long-term consequences of the crisis, at the social and economic levels, as well as exacerbating problems of access to education and health. In view of these challenges, everyone must develop a clear road map to achieve an economic recovery that includes developing and least developed countries, and work to adopt effective solutions that contribute to reducing other major challenges, including economic displacement, refugee flows, the impact of climate change and other factors that would directly affect the performance of the global economy as a whole," he added.
Regarding the objectives of the forum, the Media City CEO said: "We look forward, thanks to the dialogue that will bring together global experts and key decision makers, to discussing solutions to a number of the most pressing global economic challenges, ranging from sustainability to the global supply chain crisis and the future of financial technology. Therefore, governments and companies must act together more than ever in order to achieve the equation of global economic recovery and reduce the widening gap between the East and West, and we hope that the Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg will be a major platform to achieve this, thanks to stimulating innovation and encouraging concerted efforts of stakeholders, thus contributing to building a safer future for all countries and peoples of the world."
On the outputs that the second edition of the forum can achieve in light of its wide participation, he explained that due to the easing of travel restrictions at the global level, the forum succeeded this year in hosting important and influential international personalities - which would support the goals that it aims to achieve. "We seek to achieve them through this forum. Moreover, the forum will provide the opportunity to adopt innovative and unconventional approaches and solutions that will reduce the economic repercussions of the Covid-19 pandemic," he added.
Regarding the objective of organising the forum and the partnership with Bloomberg Media Group, HE Sheikh Ali stressed that the forum reflects Qatar's efforts to enhance its position as a leading country in the field of global economic growth, achieve comprehensive development goals and consolidate its position as a thriving investment destination, at the regional and global levels.
