Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), has been bestowed with the distinguished honour of co-chairing the 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, between 21-23 May 2015.
This is the first time an Emirati woman has been chosen to co-chair the World Economic Forum, a premier event that engages business, political, academic and other leaders of society in an effort to shape global, regional and industry agendas.
Sheikha Bodour will join a prestigious line-up of global figures in co-chairing the World Economic Forum 2015, such as 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.
The forum, titled "Creating a Regional Framework for Prosperity and Peace through Public-Private Cooperation", 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.
Speaking on her selection as Co-chair of the World Economic Forum 2015, Sheikha Bodour said: "I receive this honour with pride for my country and humility for myself, as there is still a long way to go. The honour bestowed upon me is a strong positive affirmation of the major role being played by Arab women from various walks of life, and also demonstrates their growing passion for working in new fields that offer them an opportunity to prove their capabilities, use their potential to serve society, and contribute effectively to the development of their nations. I hope to see more Arab women co-chairing such prestigious events, especially considering we have many influential Arab women leaders who can do so in support of the progress of their communities."
She added, "This year, the forum will focus on new developments and institution–building efforts of countries in the Levant and North Africa that will be addressed in the context of significant geopolitical changes in the region in light of security and humanitarian challenges in Iraq, Syria, Libya and Yemen, and in view of the fundamental transformations in the energy and technology sectors that are reshaping business models and economies."
Co-chair of the World Economic Forum is the latest in Sheikha Bodour's list of prestigious titles and distinguished honours. Sheikha Bodour, who is also the Founder and CEO of Kalimat Group, has been selected by Forbes Middle East magazine as one of its 200 most powerful Arab women - 2014 in family business, for her role in founding and managing the first publishing house in the UAE dedicated solely to publishing and distributing high quality Arabic children's books and Arabic educational content. Last October, the International Publishers Association (IPA) elected Sheikha Bodour to serve on IPA's Executive Committee, making her its first Arab female member.
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.
Source: WAM