Dubai Holding as a strategic partner participates in WEF Middle East talks

DUBAI, 9 May 2009: A high-level delegation from Dubai Holding will attend the World Economic Forum on the Middle East 2009, to be held from May 15-17 on the Jordan shore of the Dead Sea. The Forum has the theme 'Implications of the Global Economic Crisis for the Middle East: Home Grown Strategies for Success', with a particular focus on innovation and technological proficiency as essential sources of future growth.

The Dubai Holding delegation will actively engage with other regional leaders in business, science and government to seek solutions that will help countries to overcome the effects of the global economic downturn.

The Dubai Holding delegation will consist of Fadel Al Ali, Executive Chairman, Dubai Holding Operations, Soud Ba'alawy, Executive Chairman Dubai Group, Sameer Al Ansari, Executive Chairman Dubai International Capital, Abdullatif Almulla, Group Chief Executive Officer TECOM Investments, Guy Crawford, CEO Jumeirah Group and Dr Muhadditha al Hashimi, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Tatweer.

"This year has created unprecedented challenges for the global economy. In the Middle East the situation has been complicated by highly volatile energy markets and large-scale erosion of asset values. Nevertheless, we believe regional long-term sustainable growth is still possible,"said Ahmad bin Byat, CEO, Dubai Holding.

"At Dubai Holding innovation has enabled us to create a range of life-improving industries focused on the need to provide a better future for all. At WEF Middle East we will share mutual experiences and knowledge that other countries could benefit from in the region."

Members of Dubai Holding's delegation, including Soud Ba'alawy and Dr Muhadditha al Hashimi will participate in high-powered discussions at the Forum. Ba'alawy will be taking part in a session that will examine if the Middle East is ready to assume its rightful place in the new global economic architecture.

Al Hashimi will join other HR and healthcare experts to discuss how the region can boost its human resource and infrastructure capacity to make healthcare an engine of growth in the region.

Dubai Holding is a strategic partner of the World Economic Forum. The World Economic Forum on the Middle East is an exclusive, high level platform, that brings together the region's most influential and relevant decision makers from across the spectrum of government, business, science and civil society. Membership of the exclusive grouping of WEF strategic partners is strictly limited.