WORLD LEADERS GEAR UP FOR “A BETTER GENERATION IN THE MAKING”

We find ourselves at the doorstep of a new era, and survival in this brave new world demands that we take a novel approach to propelling our societies into the future. Groundbreaking ideas and cutting edge advances, these are the hallmarks, and the building blocks, of this new generation in the making.

That's just the kind of progress organizers of the first World Summit on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (WSIE) are aspiring to spur with a gathering of 800 hundred of the world’s foremost innovators and entrepreneurs who are all converging in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman between April 1-3, 2006, to take on the challenges of tomorrow with a common objective in mind: to create sustainable opportunities for future generations in emerging nations.

Under the support of the United Nation Development Program, the United Nations Economic & Social Commission for Western Asia, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America & the Caribbean, this unique event – largest gathering of its kind in the Middle East – is hosted by the Sultanate of Oman, and represented by Public Establishment for Industrial Estates.

“It gives us immense pride to host the WSIE in the Sultanate of Oman, which is on the threshold of an economic revolution and is one of the most promising emerging markets,” said H.E. Eng. Ahmed Al Dheeb, Under-Secretary, Oman’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The landmark summit will provide government officials, business leaders and educators a forum to share ideas and forge new partnerships that will help people living in emerging markets from Asia to Africa to the Middle East.

“The Summit is being hosted at the right time as it highlights the growing importance of not only the Sultanate but the entire Middle East region. Through this endeavor, we wish to engage young nationals in creating jobs for themselves, thereby improving their livelihoods. I am confident that the Summit will benefit each one of us to share our ideas and forge new partnerships that will help people living in emerging markets like Oman,” added H.E. Al Dheeb. Sam Hamdan, Chairman of Global Leadership Team, the strategic development and execution leader of the event concurred and highlighted the significance of holding the summit in the Middle East as: “a region that is witnessing phenomenal growth in non traditional industries. This growth will need to be sustained beyond the initial boom and therein lies the challenge.”

The three-day conference will present a knowledge-sharing platform for the economic growth of emerging nations. Having confirmed a strong line up of leading international figures such as Dr. Deepak Chopra, Mr. Michael D. White, Chairman & CEO of PepsiCo International Businesses, Dr. Johnathan Lord, Chief Innovation Officer, Humana, Dr. David Polinchock, Founder & Chairman, Brand Experience Lab. A number of leading regional experts will also be speaking at the conference, including, Mrs. Haifa F. Al Kaylani Founder & Chairman Arab International Women’s Forum , and Dr. Thuraya Al Arrayed Senior Executive Saudi Aramco. All speakers are regional leaders in their fields coming from diverse backgrounds and covering different expertise.

“We are honored to be bringing such an array of political and business figures together for this Summit. WSIE will create a network community for innovators and entrepreneurs who share the focus on emerging nations. Top representatives from the regional and international business community will communicate how emerging nations can best prepare themselves for global competition,” Hamdan added.

Together with an impressive collection of over 90 renowned speakers from across the globe, this landmark meeting of minds will lay down the foundations of making innovation and entrepreneurship work for emerging nations, and help them achieve global competitiveness by focusing on key initiatives and actions through three days of roundtables, town hall meetings, interactive workshops, and thematic meetings – where all will express the Summit theme “A Better Generation in the Making. ”

Commenting on the WSIE, Mishal Hamed Kanoo, Deputy Chairman of The Kanoo Group said: “The Kanoo Group has always been admired for its global vision and has remained committed to the progress and development of the entire region. The private sector in the region has a pivotal role in creating opportunities for future generations. Keeping this in perspective, the Group was of the view that the World Summit of Innovation & Entrepreneurship is the perfect platform to communicate these messages as it will be the largest gathering of its kind to be held”.

“We at Cisco are proud to support the WSIE, which is aimed at enabling the Arab World achieve global competitiveness. Entrepreneurship and innovation is synonymous with Cisco's corporate personality and is strongly reflected in providing support to our customers,” concurred Samer Alkharrat, General Manager – Gulf Region and Pakistan, Cisco Systems.

The WSIE aims to provide a knowledge sharing platform which will focus on six key initiatives: improving infrastructure, empowering human development, enabling sustainable development, making innovations foster better governance and legal reforms, sharing reports from leaders on stimulating growth ventures and ultimately exploring the impact of innovation trends on our future lives.

Richard D. Evans Commercial Vice President for PepsiCo International’s [PI’s] Middle East & Africa Region concluded: “The WSIE is an ideal opportunity for the private sector in the MENA region to meet innovators and entrepreneurs from all over the globe. The interest of PepsiCo is in line with the efforts of the WSIE in finding solutions to develop the region and this is what we can hope to achieve from the forum and dialogue that the WSIE will provide”.
Unlike any other event, this historic endeavor is the only summit of its kind that rises above the customary dialogue of “what is needed” and advances to actual implementation of concrete actions required to help solve the world’s most difficult challenges.