Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), will encourage youth empowerment during the upcoming  World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa, which will be held at the King Hussein bin Talal Convention Centre in the Dead Sea, Jordan, from May 21st -23rd.

Besides being the first Emirati woman to co-chair an event at the economic forum, Sheikha Bodour will take part in a panel discussion on the second day titled ‘The Youth Imperative: What Shifts Are Necessary to equip the region’s youth for a future of peace and prosperity?,.

 She will emphasise the vital need to encourage and empower the younger generation to become active contributors to the economic, social, and political development of their nations. Sheikha  Bodour will also speak at a Young Global Leaders Community Bonding event on May  21st..

Speaking about the upcoming event, Sheikha Bodour remarked, “The Arab region has no shortage of young talent, but the challenge is to effectively utilise such talent and invest it in the development process both locally and regionally. As the youth population constitutes over 55% of the total population in the Arab world, it is crucial that we engage young people in core issues, instilling in them hope and optimism while harnessing their abilities and energy to create real and lasting peace and prosperity in the region.”

An esteemed lineup of global figures will join Sheikha Bodour as co-chairs of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa, including Gordon Brown, Chair of the World Economic Forum Global Strategic Infrastructure Initiative, Member of Parliament and Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (2007-2010); Omar Al Ghanim, Chief Executive Officer of Al Ghanim Industries, Kuwait; Suma Chakrabarti, President of European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), London; and John Rice, Vice-Chairman of GE, Hong Kong SAR.

A delegation from the emirate of Sharjah, composed of representatives from various government departments and authorities, will also be in attendance to share and discuss different ideas, as well as exchange experiences with other participants, including political, intellectual, business and technology leaders from around the world.

The World Economic Forum is an international institution committed to improving the state of the world through public-private cooperation in the spirit of global citizenship. Incorporated as a not-for-profit foundation in 1971 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the forum features business, political, academic and other leaders of society who aim to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Titled ‘Creating a Regional Framework for Prosperity and Peace through Public-Private Cooperation’, the 2015 World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa will bring together more than 800 key government, business, and civil society leaders from the region and beyond, to support a comprehensive and forward-looking vision for prosperity and peace. The World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa issues economic indices in competitiveness, business environment, labour force and market performance.