UAE to host 'global federation of competitiveness councils' summit

The Emirates Competitiveness Council officially announced that UAE has won the international bid to host the third edition of the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils (GFCC) Summit. This is a significant achievement for the country, as the summit is a prominent gathering of Competitiveness Councils from around the world. Over 100 international delegates, competitiveness thought leaders and decision makers from government, the private sector and academia will convene in Abu Dhabi and Dubai from 27-29 November 2012, to trade ideas on how to enhance national and global competitiveness and prosperity through innovation. Winning this bid is another endorsement of UAE as a world-leading destination for international events and exhibitions. Abdullah Lootah, Secretary General of the Emirates Competitiveness Council, elaborated on winning the bid: "Being chosen to host an event of this importance is a major testament for the UAE. It upholds our position as a world leader in competitiveness, and enhances our drive to continue building an innovation-driven, knowledge-based economy." The Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils (GFCC) is considered a leading gathering and consortium bringing together the largest number of competitiveness councils and centers from around the world. The UAE is one of the founding members of the GFCC, along with the United States, Brazil, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Russia and Australia are members of the Board of Directors in this federation, which includes several other member countries. The UAE is consistently ranked among the world's most competitive economies by international ranking agencies. It is worth mentioning that the World Economic Forum in its latest Global Competitiveness Report 2012-2013 announced that the UAE is the only Arab country listed among the 35 countries that have economies driven by innovation.