In the presence of H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and H.H. Sheikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Crown Prince Court and Managing Director of the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Summit Co-Chairs Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, and Ali Al Mansouri, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development, have inaugurated the Opening Plenary of the World Economic Forum's Summit on the Global Agenda 2015.

Hosted for the eighth time in the UAE and for the third time in Abu Dhabi, the Government of the United Arab Emirates and the Government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi collaborate with the World Economic Forum by bringing together more than 900 global thought leaders, influencers and business leaders to discuss solutions to critical global, regional and industry challenges.

Also in attendance were Suhail Mohammed Al Mazrouie, Minister of Energy, Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of State, Mohammed Abdullah Al Gergawi, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Sheikh Sultan bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, Chairman of Department of Transport, Ahmed Juma Al Zaabi, Deputy Minister of Presidential Affairs, Dr Ahmed Al Mazrouie, Secretary-General of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority (EAA), as well as a number of ministers and dignitaries from the UAE and other countries.

This meeting also represents the second year of the Network of Global Agenda Council's two-year term, ensuring the continuity of projects aimed to achieve sustainable results.

Sultan Al Mansouri, the UAE Minister of Economy and Co-Chair of the Summit, welcomed Council Members to Abu Dhabi saying, "The Summit on the Global Agenda is about bringing people together, to engage in important conversations that may otherwise not have happened, to take part in rigorous debate and to share our ideas. The diverse perspectives represented here make the Summit an exceptional space for creative and collaborative problem solving. In short, we are here together to innovate."

Speaking at the Opening Plenary, Ali Majed Al Mansouri, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development and Summit Co-Chair, said, "This Summit is the place to collectively share and explore our methodologies and practices to reach broad, sustainable solutions to global challenges and opportunities. For me, this principle of long-term thinking is a critical element to this week's discussions."

This year's Summit will address global challenges by applying shared learnings and knowledge of the World Economic Forum's Network of Global Agenda Councils, comprising of more than 80 groups of experts from academia, business, civil society, international organisations and government. The councils will also take part in collaborative and interactive sessions to provide new perspectives on global trends and to formulate efficient solutions to the global challenges. The outcomes of these sessions will shape the agenda for the following World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in 2016.

Professor Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, said, "The scale and breadth of our global challenges has rendered the international system fully consumed by crisis management. To tackle these challenges and benefit from the many opportunities, requires a more visionary, long-term, and horizontal approach to global decision making. This is exactly what the Summit on the Global Agenda is about."

Some of the key topics being addressed during the three-day Summit include industrial change, the future of manufacturing, transformation in the global economy, global security, technological advancements, and cross-border business opportunities. A closing plenary on the 27th of October will conclude the Summit.

Source: WAM