Harvard Business School GCC Alumni Club Will Host the Forum Annually Across the GCC

 A serious examination of the GCC’s future policies and plans will take place at the HBS Crossroads GCC Future Impact Forum this month, held for the first time in Dubai and under the Patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of the Executive Council.

Business leaders, academia and government officials will lay out the ongoing development in national talents, governance, food security, healthcare, sustainability and the digital economy to present actionable outcomes to be pursued over the next year.

Being one of the world’s most significantly affected regions due to recent regional and international political and economic developments, the GCC is repositioning itself on a number of fronts, most significantly is, national talent development and governance.

A new era of GCC leaders will review the massive transformations witnessed across the region and focus on the fast evolving socio-economic trends in the GCC.  Director General, Dubai Department of Economy & Tourism, UAE His Excellency Helal Almarri, will discuss highlight perspectives on managing such complex challenges and lessons learned alongside H.E. Suadi Arabia’s Assistant Minister of Human Resources & Social Development, Mohammed Al-Jasser, and Dr Meshal Al Othman, the Director General of the Kuwaiti Public Institution for Social Security.

Discussions with top GCC leaders will also focus on the varying perspectives of national work force development in the region. H.E. Ghannam Al Mazrouei, Secretary General, Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council, Dr. Lamya Al Haj, Professor, Sultan Qaboos University, Oman and Khaled Al Saleh, Managing Director of Accenture in the kingdom of Saudi Arabia will discuss how the challenge was managed within their organisations and how GCC organisations could manage this task.

“The GCC’s determination to play a leading and pioneering role in global affairs was the main driver for our intent to deep dive into the challenges of the region, our aim of fast-tracking collaborative solutions sets up a platform for stronger resilience across the region,” said Saleh Lootah, President, HBS Club of the GCC, Chairman, Lootah Holdings.

“The Crossroads Future Impact Forum is specifically targeting boosting the region’s position by gathering business leaders, and government and creating a stimulating environment that supports the development of actionable solutions for growth,” he added.

Regional governments and businesses have recently been repositioning themselves to become key players in the emerging digital economy. Their performance will be assessed, and their plans reviewed for a future with the crypto currency market, growing adoption of Blockchain technology and Artificial Intelligence.

UAE Minister of State for Artificial Intelligence, Digital Economy, and Remote Work Applications, Omar Sultan Al Olama will address the UAE’s perspective on the digital economy, while Eng. Ahmed Bin Abdullah Alolala, Deputy CEO, THIQAH, will present the Saudi approach. They will be joined by Shant Okanayan, Head of Global Business, ByteDance and Mastercard General Manager, MENA East, J.K. Khalil.

Healthcare, a main discussion point at the forum, is now considered a public-private initiative with GCC governments creating space for private operators to enter the sector. This transformation and how policy changes and regulatory frameworks can serve attracting private players from the region and beyond will be debated by Her Royal Highness Dr. Maha bint Mishari bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Vice President, Al Faisal University, Saudi Arabia, Sharif Beshara, Group CEO, Mohammad & Obaid Al Mulla Group, Global Health Leader Dr. Maliha Hashmi, and Dr. Jorge A. Guzman, Chief Executive Officer, Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, UAE.

A key topic, the GCCs food security challenge iis going to be addressed. The region will see growth of up to 20-30 million more people by 2050. The regions little arable land and water is driving the need to find ways with innovations in food production, manufacturing, distribution to meets demands and feed the population. Agri Business development in the region will be deabated a by the UAE’s Al Dahra Group Acting CEO, Gianluca Fabbri, and Chief Executive of Nakheel Oman Development Company Ali Al Uraimi.

The GCC is in a fast-moving period with rapid global challenges directly affecting it. Knowledgeable debates will encourage innovative collaborations, and drive leadership and business agendas to be closer aligned for maximum impact.

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