Manama, June 25 (BNA): The first day of the Peace to Prosperity workshop focused on the role of the private sector in securing
the economic outlook of the Middle East.
The workshop began today, bringing together government, business, and civic leaders to discuss how best to create economic prosperity and opportunity for the Palestinian people. The workshop is being hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain in partnership with the United States of America.
Today’s opening session included an introduction to the issues at hand in the Middle East and how the private sector can play a role in solving them. The participants explained the benefits of investing in the Palestinian people’s future and how an investment-driven pathway forward is a critical element for ending the decades-old conflicts.
“The goal of this workshop is to begin thinking about these challenges in a new way,” said White House Senior Advisor Jared Kushner. “Let’s try to view this conflict and the potential of this entire region through a different lens and work together to develop a concrete plan to try to achieve it. For a moment, imagine a new reality in the Middle East.”
Business leaders Mohamed Aabbar, Founder & Chairman of Emaar Properties PJSC, and Stephen Schwarzman, Chairman, CEO & Co-Founder of Blackstone, both offered their perspectives and hopes for the future in a panel following Mr. Kushner’s speech.
Additional panels and conversations on other key topics including infrastructure development, supporting the entrepreneurial ecosystem, the importance of women’s empowerment, and the need for workforce development will be discussed in tomorrow’s proceedings.
The workshop is facilitating discussions on an ambitious, achievable vision and framework for a prosperous future for the Palestinian people and the region, including enhancements to economic governance, development of human capital, and facilitation of rapid private-sector growth.