Dubai, UAE, 15 December, 2021: The success of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as it marches towards a new era of development and progress through technology, innovation and socio-economic empowerment of citizens was the highlight of the third edition of the ABLF Talks Hybrid, the monthly leadership series that brings together world leaders in conversations and collaborations. The ABLF Talks, held under the patronage of H.H. Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan and in partnership with the UAE Ministry of Economy and Dubai Cares, saw top leaders from Saudi Arabia in a lively discussion alongside inspiring icons from industry in the UAE as they charted the road ahead to counter the grave challenges posed by the pandemic. The Conclave kickstarted with a keynote address by H.E. Dr. Mohammed bin Ahmed Al-Sudairy, Deputy Minister of Education for Universities, Research and Innovation, Saudi Arabia, as he highlighted the various initiatives undertaken by the Ministry to ensure that citizens had the required capabilities to compete at a global level. “Education comes at the heart of the UN SDGS,” said His Excellency as he elaborated on measures like the Human Capital Development programme, under Vision 2030, that were designed to promote upskilling, improve gender parity, help develop basic and future skills of students as well as improve the quality of education for knowledge seekers and teachers.
This was followed by an engaging session on ‘The Long Road to Economic Stability’ with H.E. Eng. Badr Abdulla Al-Dulami, Vice Minister of Transport and Logistic Services, KSA who enumerated the strategies adopted by the government to make Saudi Arabia a hub for logistics in the world. His Excellency Al-Dulami underlined the need for fostering fruitful partnerships with the private sector in achieving this goal. Admitting that the pandemic and the subsequent disruption in global supply chains have forced countries to look inwards, His Excellency spoke at length about the National Transport and Logistics Strategy that played a critical role in developing the Kingdom’s infrastructure to reach world-class levels.
Saudi Arabia was also represented by Reema Juffali, the spunky F3 Racing Driver who made history when she became the first female race car driver from the Kingdom. Reema, who was recently appointed the Ambassador for the country’s inaugural Grand Prix held in Jeddah, shared her inspiring story with the ABLF audiences as she pointed out the importance of education in empowering women. “Education is an important tool to make participation of women and young girls in sports possible,” said Reema.
Another interesting session was by Guiseppe Saba, CEO, International Humanitarian City, where he underscored the need for partnerships in the humanitarian sector especially when it came to fulfilling the objectives enshrined in the UN SDGs. Saba also spoke about the collapse of the supply chain caused by the pandemic and how it impacted the delivery of humanitarian aid. “ A large part of humanitarian aid is manufactured in South East Asia, and when the supply chain collapses, you have only one option - to get strong partnerships with governments which are well equipped and supportive. This is what the UAE offered to the United Nations to provide humanitarian aid worldwide.”
The Conclave rounded off with a riveting panel discussion featuring two accomplished entrepreneurs - Melda Akin, CEO, D14.A1 and Noor Alnahhas, CEO, Nybl. At their session titled ‘The Crisis: A Catalyst for a Tech-led Future’, the tech entrepreneurs recalled the challenges in their respective journeys and how they steered their companies through the pandemic that led to an acceleration of digital innovation through Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence.
The ABLF Talks Hybrid, which will return to the Dubai Cares Pavilion next month on January 17 with more engaging discussions between world leaders, are powered by four innovative superbrands, the Aditya Birla Group, a $45 billion conglomerate and Fortune 500 company, Zand, the world's first fully digital bank, DP World, the global supply chain solutions giant and Etisalat, the world’s fastest mobile network. The Conclaves are also supported by a powerful lineup of partners including CNBC Arabia (Broadcast Partner) and Hindustan Times, Khaleej Times, Arab News, Muscat Daily, Al Bayan (Media Partners) and UNICEF.
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