All Egyptians should pride themselves that their country has hosted the World Economic Forum this year. Foreign, Arab and Egyptian participants were surprised at the good organization and the facilities offered them since they landed in the country.

Not only should we note the number of participants but also how distinguished they were. Nor should we disregard the terrorist attack in the resort city of Dahab which preceded the convening of the Forum and which aroused fears concerning its impact on the number of participants. The reaction was quick beyond expectations. WEF President Klaus Schwab sent a message to the organizers in Sharm al-Sheikh confirming that the Forum would take place on time and without change of venue. It was a message of support to Egypt in its fight against terrorism. Moreover, the convening of the Forum in Egypt as scheduled stood evidence of the world's confidence that the country was capable of overcoming the fall-outs of the terrorist attack. We should therefore be grateful to all those who took part in the event.

Moving on to the Forum itself, we believe that major achievements were attained throughout its duration.

At the political level:
Under the auspices of President Hosni Mubarak, the Forum broke the 11-month deadlock in peace negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel. The two sides met over ways of removing tension and returning to the negotiation table.

In-depth discussions were held focusing on such thorny issues as Iraq, Iran's nuclear file, the problem of Darfur and the Syrian-Lebanese ties.

Meetings took place with members of the US delegations, which included several influential Congressmen and Administration representatives. Developments on the Arab front in general and on the Egyptian scene in particular were reviewed and a number of points clarified concerning Egyptian policies. The result of these talks will be felt in the future with respect to bilateral relations.

Democracy and reform in the Middle East were the main topics of debate at a number of WEF symposia and group sessions. The participants discussed challenges facing the reform process. The message was driven home that no single formula was applicable to all Arab countries. Every country should develop its own specific reform equation. The fact was further stressed that democracy should develop from within rather than be superimposed.

At the economic level:
Among Forum members were a group of economic and financial institutions, including City Bank, Arab Towers and Merrill Lynch. The presence of these institutions is most likely to have a major effect on the Egyptian economy and on the volume of Egypt-bound direct foreign investments in the near future. Their presence has guaranteed them a first-hand knowledge of the country's conditions derived from discussions held with state officials.

The investment group, which includes representatives of the Arab Business Council, G-8 countries, China and India will start its work in September in Cairo with the purpose of identifying and overcoming obstacles hindering investments.

Several symposia were further dedicated to discussing means of attracting more tourists to the region. A number of agreements and memorandums of understanding were further signed on the sidelines of the Forum.

Other issues of significance such as free trade agreements, and Arab countries accession to the World Trade Organization were tabled for discussion at the Forum together with the water crisis and fluctuations at the stock exchanges.

At the social Level
The Forum witnessed the launching under the auspices of Mrs. Mubarak, Egypt's First Lady of the Egypt Education Initiative. The EEI is likely to benefit around 820,000 students in 2000 schools and is sponsored by the Arab Business Council as well as by several international firms.

The Forum focused on many youth issues such as preparing a younger generation of leaders.

Woman problems attracted a great deal of attention at the Forum. Discussions focused on means of integrating women into the mainstream of society. The Forum also investigated ways of making use of women's potentials and of ensuring gender equality under the law.

Human trafficking particularly among women and children featured high in discussions at the Forum. Mrs. Mubarak has long urged the international community to unite with a view to removing this disgraceful stigma. Her initiative received the support of the International Organization of Migration as well as that of corporate and media communities alike.

A number of WEF symposia and group sessions were dedicated to promoting dialogue among religions. Many recommendations were made in this regard.

Mohammad Shfiq Gabr
Al-Ahram
June 3, 2006