“Arab Businessmen and Investors Conference XV” which is expected to be held in Tunis as of May 14 – 15 under the title of “Arab Investment in the light of the current developments”

Main Subject:
The conference is important to emphasize on….
The “Arab Investment in light of the Current Developments” came to be a main subject to address the Arab investments towards productive and developing projects in the Arab countries especially in the countries that witnessed changes called “The Arab Spring” along with participating in the reconstruction, building and economic development of such countries in order to take part in reinstating the economic status and supporting the comprehensive Arab economic development.

Conference Objects:
The conference objects are concentrated in the following main aspects:

• Defining the investment climate in the Arab world and the improvement requirements thereof.
• Reviewing the investment opportunities in the Arab world along with concentrating on the Arab Spring Countries.
• Reviewing the opinions of the local investors and the Arab ones about the obstacles of investment in the Arab world.
• Encouraging the communication between the public and private sectors in terms of the affairs and needs of the Arab investment.
• Displaying the suggested investment and constructing projects for promotion through the exhibition and workshops.

Arab Economic Forum:
Under the patronage of the Prime Minister, Mr. Najuib Miqaty, the Arab Economic Forum shall be held for its annual session XX on May 10 & 11, 2012 in Venice Hotel – Beirut.

To hold the forum of this year is to come in the middle of historical transformation and permanent changes in the Arab World as some of the Arab Spring Countries progress instantly to complete the establishment of free democratic regimes and to refresh their economics while other countries are still encountering disturbing positions and seek to finish the transitional phase with the minimum loss.

Accordingly, the most important subjects and issues on the forum agenda include the following:

• The Arab economics and politics a year after the outbreak of revolutions and the horizons of the phase to come.
• Effect of the political transformations and changes in the area on growth, stability and economic reform.
• The requirements and priorities of establishing a new economic construction achieving the requirements of Arab peoples in terms of employment opportunities, living standard, equality and accountability.
• The main economic motives in the area and the manner of using them in the highlight of the new positions.
• The future of Arab cooperation and possibilities of improving thereof along with the future role of the Arab economics in the global economy.
• Importance of the financial sector in supporting the Arab economic growth in the future.
• Learning from the lessons of the transitional phases in other areas of the world.

As in every year, the forum will witness wide participation including the prime ministers, ministers, government officials from various Arab countries in addition to the leaders of business and money and investment in the Arab World and the wider area along with the global and Arab financing and developing institutions, experts, media agencies among other distinguished spectators. Again, there will be a lot of meetings and interviews tackling the current issues both in the Arab World and the International ones.

The forum is organized by the Group of Economy and business in cooperation with the central bank and the Bank Association in Lebanon and the IFC.

The 2nd session of the Saudi Forum of Corporate Social Responsibility on 8 & 9 of Rajab 1433 H corresponding 29 and 30 may 2012 in Park Hyatt - Jeddah organized by Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Economic and Business Group. The 2nd session forms the completion of the 1st session held under the kind patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Khalid Al Faisal, prince of Holy Mecca Area and it witnessed the launching of the Endow Fund of small premises and productive families of SR 65 millions and the "Taiseer" Project for the rehabilitation of official or private buildings of public use so as to enable all the motor disabled, blind and deaf people to use such buildings.

In its second session, the forum aims to outline the features of the following phase of the Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the method of overcoming the challenges preventing the generalization of such culture to the Saudi business community and turning the same into permanent strategies.

For two days the forum shall study various issues of which the most important:

• Priorities of social issues for companies and the methods of achieving the sustainability of its programs.
• The method of adapting the agenda of social responsibility of the corporate with the educational curricula.
• How to prepare the social responsibility report of your company.
• The mechanism of responsible supplying chains.
• Large companies and their role in developing the small premises and new initiatives.
• The media role in circulating the social responsibility of companies.
• Local, territorial and global experiments in the field of corporate social responsibility.

The forum is expected to have wide participations by the government organizations and authorities and the Saudi companies and groups in particular and the Arab ones in general in addition to the participation expected from the expertise firms and specialized consulting offices.