Jusoor Arabiya and Smadja host an exclusive VIP dinner

• Ghabra:  “With the state that the Arab economy is in, we will in this meeting try to understand the impact and the long term effects. We will also come to grips with the new trends emerging in the Arab Israeli conflict after Gaza.”

Kuwait- 2/17/08 Today Jusoor Arabiya Leadership and Consultancy Center along with Smadja Associates, once again launches its strategic conference “Global Strategy Group Middle East (GSGME)”. This esteemed conference, will be held on February 17, -18 2009 at the Crown Plaza Hotel, Kuwait. This conference is the sixth one of its kind and is held annually.  

GSGME brings together top executives of companies from around the world in order to discuss regional and Global economic, social and political realities shaping the region. The mix of expertise and personalities gives the discussions a depth and openness, a thinking forward tonality not found in conferences or other meetings.

Dr. Shafeeq Ghabra, President of Jusoor Arabiya and Claude Smadja, President of Smadja Associates and former Managing Director of the World Economic Forum also bring a powerful taste to the Conference.

“With the state that the Arab economy is in, we will in this meeting try to understand the impact and the long term effects. We will also come to grips with the new trends emerging in the Arab Israeli conflict after Gaza.”

He added, “We are at such a critical time right now, where companies need to evolve and find the right approach to sustain while facing economic and political challenges”.

He added, in this conference the intellectual synergy between the members of GSGME has made a remarkable impact in the in-depth reports that are released and has also made an impact on each and every participant.”

Moreover, Claude Smadja added, “This small but highly intensive conference will focus this year on the Middle East in general. The mix of expertise from around the word that will be attending this private conference are quite impressive.

Likewise, the strength of this meeting is its format of brainstorming conducted in a structured, albeit free wheeling, fashion.”

“After each meeting and executive summary is produced and distributed capturing the key elements of the discussion and outcomes that have emerged. The members also set the agenda and the time for the second meeting which follows a year later.” Stated Smadja.

The GSGME is by sponsorship and includes participation in the conference, confidential trend reports, networking exchanges, sponsorship exposure and so on.

The Sponsors of this year’s conference are Kharafi National, Aramex, Safwan Petroleum Technologies and the International Investors

This year’s experts, sponsors and participants include Saifaldin Abdul-Rahman, Advisor on International Relations & Senior Aid coordinating public policy and public relations for Tariq Al-Hashimi, the Vice President of Iraq Adnan Abdulaziz Al-Bahar, Chairman and Managing Director, The International Investor, Kuwait (Sponsor), Yousef Al-Ebraheem, Advisor to the Emir of Kuwait, Kuwait, Mohammad Al-Rumaihi, Editor-in-Chief of Awan Daily Newspaper, Kuwait, Jawdat Al-Shawwa, Managing Director, IMCO Co., Kuwait, Omar Al-Shawwa, Managing Director, CANAR Trading and Contracting Company, Kuwait, Roby C. Barrett, Adjunct Scholar, Middle East Institute; President, C-Com, Unite States, Eliot R. Cutler, Managing Partner, Beijing, Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, People’s Republic of China, Ibrahim Dabdoub, Group CEO, National Bank of Kuwait, Kuwait, Raghida Dergham, Columnist and Senior Diplomatic Correspondent, Al Hayat, United Kingdom, Osama Fattaleh, Chief Operating Officer, Aramex International, Jordan, Shafeeq Ghabra, President of, Jusoor Arabiya, & Professor of Political Science at Kuwait University, Fadi Ghandour, Founder & CEO, Aramex International, Jordan (Sponsor), F. Gregory Gause, III,  Professor of Political Science, the University of Vermont; 2009-10 Kuwait Foundation Visiting Professor, the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University & Current Fulbright Scholar, the American University of Kuwait, Kuwait, Hussein Hachem, Chief Executive Officer in the Gulf region, Aramex, United Arab Emirates, Amr Hamzawy, Senior Associate, Middle East Center, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, United States, Allen L. Keiswetter, Adjunct Scholar, Middle East Institute; Senior Consultant, C&O Resources, United States, Raja Kiwan, Senior Analyst, the Markets & Country Strategies Practice, PFC Energy, Dubai, Richard Murphy, President, Richard W. Murphy Associates, United States, Nawaf Obaid, Saudi Strategic Affairs Advisor, Saudi Arabia, Emad Omar, Specialist in Conflict Resolution, Media and Civil Society, Jordan, Ibrahim Oweiss, Professor of Economics, Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in Qatar, Qatar, Nabil Qaddumi, Founder & Chairman, Safwan Petroleum Technologies, Kuwait (Sponsor),

 Aamir Abdul Rehman, Author, Dubai & Co.: Global Strategies for Doing Business in the Gulf States; Head of Strategy, Fajr Capital Limited & Adjunct Scholar, The Middle East Institute, United States, Karim Sadjadpour, Associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, United States, Paul Salem, Director, the Carnegie Middle East Center, Lebanon, Jean-François Seznec, Visiting Associate Professor, Georgetown University, United States, Claude Smadja, Founder and President, Smadja & Associates Strategic Advisory, Switzerland, Yaël Smadja, President, Smadja & Associates USA, United States
S. Enders Wimbush, Director of its Center for Future Security Strategies & Senior Vice President, the Hudson Institute, United States, Samer Younis, Managing Director, National Kharafi, Kuwait (Sponsor)