Abdullah II opens World Economic Forum

King Abdullah II of Jordan will open on Saturday at the Dead Sea the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa. Around 23 countries will take part in the Forum, which will be held under the theme “Advancing Conditions for Growth and Resilience”. Over 900 participants representing governments, businesses, civil societies academia, youth and media will take part in the event, which is held in Jordan for the seventh time, to discuss the greater region’s challenges like youth unemployment, transparency, income disparity, private sector development and infrastructure. The Forum will include 34 sessions in addition to other meetings held on the sidelines of the event. The Forum, which is hosted in cooperation with the King Abdullah Design and Development Bureau (KADDB), will also include the third session of King Abdullah II Award for Youth Innovation and Achievement (KAAYIA), which was launched by King Abdullah II at the World Economic Forum in 2007. The World Economic Forum, first conceived in January 1971, encourages businesses, governments and civil society to commit together to improving the state of the world.