The Dubai School of Government Hosts the State of the Region Forum 2008

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, April 13/PRNewswire/ -- The Dubai School of Government is hosting tomorrow April 14,
together with Business Week and in cooperation with DNM Strategies, the third
annual "State of the Region" Forum. The theme of this year's Forum was
"Leveraging Opportunity, Managing Risk."

The Forum, sponsored by the Commercial Bank of Dubai (CBD),
Sama Dubai and Etisalat, connects representatives from both the public and
private sectors in the UAE and neighboring countries. The event provides a
unique opportunity to examine and analyze key trends and critical
developments affecting the Arab world and to devise strategies to mold the
future of the region.

HE Nabil Alyousuf, Executive President of the Dubai School of
Government, said that "Policy makers and leaders from the public and private
sectors participated in the Forum to discuss means to maintain the momentum
for growth in the Gulf." He emphasized the need to tackle key challenges such
as inflation and instability abroad, and noted that the Forum addressed
scenarios for re-valuing the currency, as well as "issues of improving
competitiveness, developing the region's human resources, and ensuring an
adequate climate for sustainable development."

Alyousuf noted that since its inception in 2004, the Dubai
School of Government has provided a forum for stakeholders from the Gulf and
the Arab world to explore the main challenges facing the region. According to
Alyousuf, "The School shall continue to stimulate this kind of discussion,
encouraging leaders to leverage opportunity while managing risk."

Peter Paltson from CBD said "As part of the Bank's commitment
to the UAE and the Arab world, the Commercial Bank of Dubai feels privileged
to be the benefactor of the Dubai School of Government's "State of the Region
Forum," which we view as a unique opportunity to discuss and address critical
developments in the Region with a panel of local and international opinion
leaders."

While Chris Power, Assistant Managing Editor, International, BusinessWeek
United States asserted that "Economic global activity is shifting with the
Middle-East playing a more significant role. The region is prospering by
positioning itself as the cross-road between East and West, contributing
towards global growth."

The Forum is an exclusive and intimate half-day gathering
consisting of three panels focusing on topics including emerging global
powers and the evolving role of the GCC; maintaining the growth momentum
through sound economic policy and institutional development; and tools for
policy makers to better manage risk by responding appropriately to
unanticipated but high-impact events.

The forum features prominent speakers including, Ambassador
Edward Djerejian, Founding Director, James A. Baker III Institute for Public
Policy, Rice University, United States; Vali Nasr, Professor of International
Politics at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy of Tufts University,
Senior Fellow at Dubai Initiative of Harvard University; Dr. Surin Pitsuwan,
Secretary-General, ASEAN, Thailand; and, David Wyss, Chief Economist,
Standard and Poor's, United States; Participants also included Chris Power,
International Managing Editor, BusinessWeek, United States; Dr. Tarik Yousef,
Dean, Dubai School of Government, United Arab Emirates; and, Rami Khouri,
Director, Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs,
American University of Beirut.

http://www.dsg.ae

Source: Dubai School of Government

Contact: Selma Nagbou, Outreach Manager, Dubai School of Government, Tel: +971-4-317-5517, Mob : +971-50-394-8835, Fax: +971-4-329-3291.

2008-04-13 09:02:04 0334243 PRNEWSWIRE