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SAGIA
The National Competitiveness Center
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RIYADH 13th Nov. 2007 – The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques...
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Based on the success and momentum generated from the November 2006 meeting, SAGIA will host the 2nd GCF in January 2008, building continuity and establishing the forum as an annual, international event in Saudi Arabia.  The goal of holding this 2nd forum is to provide a high-profile and global perspective on competitiveness that simultaneously increases the visibility of the Kingdom’s efforts and further develops the competitiveness forum series.

The theme of the forum itself, “Competitiveness as an Engine for Economic Growth” aims to draw attention to the macroeconomic benefit of competitiveness and to position competitiveness as a key global challenge.

 

  

The forum also attracts internationally recognized leaders to speak and participate.  Sub-themes have been designed around various aspects of competitiveness to create the appropriate platform for discussion by experts, corporate leaders, political leaders, NGOs, academics, and other stakeholders. The event is designed to be a premier gathering of thought leaders and innovators.  

 
  Monday, January 21st, 2008
 
7:30 – 8:15am BREAKFAST ICE-BREAKER
8:20 – 9:05am

Opening Address
“Competitiveness as an Engine for Economic Growth.”

Michael Porter, Harvard Professor
9:10–10:10am
Competitiveness as an Engine for Economic Growth: a 10 Year Outlook
Impact of global connectivity and future technologies on competition on the global
economic landscape
Emergence of economic clusters and how they are breaking down national boundaries
Trends in the development of infrastructure as enabler of competitiveness and growth
Public Sector involvement in creating a competitive nation

John Chambers, Chairman & CEO, Cisco Systems
Professor Stephane Garelli, Director, IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook
Alan Boekmann, Chairman & CEO, Fluor
Y.B. Dato’ Seri Rafidah Aziz, Minister of International Trade and Industry, Malaysia
10:10–10:25am   BREAK
10:15–11:15am 

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: What’s Next?
Desire and need for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to go beyond oil and contribute more to the global economy
The 10 by 10 program and how it is improving the general business environment
Leveraging the Kingdom’s Competitive Advantages to become a strong global player: ICT and Energy
Competitiveness of Saudi Arabia and its role as a global leader

H.E. Dr. Hashim Yamani, Minister of Commerce and Industry
H.E. Eng. Mohammed Jamil Mulla, Minister of ICT
H.E. Khalid Al-Gosaibi, KSA Minister of Economy & Planning
H.E. HE Dr. Mohammed Al-Suwaiyel, President, King Abdullaziz City for Science and
Technology

11:30–12:30pm 
Equitable Growth!
Adding environment to the competitiveness equation
Adding environment to the competitiveness equation
Understanding the knowledge divide – strategic implications from having knowledge gaps in education and technology
Why is social well-being a critical element for the growth of a nation and how can it be
achieved through equitable growth

Dick Evans, President and CEO, Alcan
James Albaugh, President and CEO, Integrated Defense Systems, Boeing
Tapani Järvinen, President and CEO, OUTOTEC
Ms. Jane Nelson, Senior Fellow and Director of Corporate Social Responsibility Initiative,
Harvard University
12:30–1:30pm  LUNCH BREAK with Dr. Michael Porter and a Global Keynote Speaker
1:30–2:30 pm  Global Risks 2008: What keeps you up at night?
Inflation risks and future dynamics of the currency exchange market
Development and progression of Real Estate “bubbles”
Anticipating future downsides in the financial markets in the global economy
Predicting social and political risks and their impact on security
Understanding how competitiveness can help to uncover and mitigate risks

Nemir Kirdar, President & CEO, Investcorp
Dr. Klaus Engel, Chairman of the Managing Board, Degussa
David Kim, Chairman, Daesung Group
Gail Fosler, President and Chief Economist, The Conference Board
2:35–3:35pm
Redefining Healthcare
At what cost does healthcare foster competitiveness?
Access to innovation: the who, what, where, when and why of healthcare
How long should we live? How “perfect” should we be?

Dr. Gro Brundtland, Former Prime Minister of Norway and Former Director General of the World Health Organization
Dr. Daniel Vasella, Chairman and CEO, the Novartis Group
3:35–3:50pm BREAK
3:50–4:50pm
Adding an “S” to “BRIC”
Why is BRIC an important Global economic indicator and why is the “S” missing?
Local perspective from BRIC countries: what does it mean for competitiveness?
Implications of accounting for the Middle East in the BRIC equation

Victor Chu, Chairman, First Eastern Investment Group
Azim H Premji, CEO, Wipro
Lubna Olayan, CEO Olayan Group
Herman Gref, Former Minister of Economics and Trade Russian Federation
Dr. Axel Claus Heitmann, President and CEO, Lanxess
4:55 – 5:10pm
Summary and Closing Remarks – Dr. John Quelch, Senior Associate Dean, Harvard Business School
8:00 pm Offsite Gala Dinner AlAthryiah Palace
 
  Tuesday, Januray 22nd, 2008


 

H.E. Amr Al-Dabbagh
HE Eng. Khalid Abdullah Almolhem
HE Dr. Mohammed Al-Suwaiyel
Mr. Alan L. Boeckmann
Dr. Werner Brandt
Dr. Gro Harlem Brundtland
Prof. Herwig Brunner
Mr. Neil Bush
Mr. John T. Chambers
Mr. Dick Evans
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