How will the Arab world be next year?

The Arab Strategy Forum will take place on Wednesday in Dubai.

Under the direction and patronage of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the Arab Strategy Forum will take place on Wednesday in Dubai.

The forum will host a group of leading Arab and international decision-makers, academics, economists and political analysts to exchange views on the political and economic state of the Arab region and the rest of the world in 2017. They will also discuss key strategic issues and analyse the challenges and opportunities that will face the world economically and politically in 2017.

Abdulla Bin Touq, deputy chairman of the Arab Strategy Forum, said: “The forum embodies the vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, which aims to meet the needs of leaders and Arab governments to plan for the future. The forum’s approach to political and economic forecasting works to support sound decision-making around various geopolitical and economic trends, and it has followed this approach since its inception.”

Bin Touq added: “The UAE continues to lead in planning for the future and developing pre-emptive and alternative solutions that meet the requirements for addressing various regional and international challenges. Moreover, it is focused on the realisation of the happiness and prosperity of its nationals and residents.
Based on this, the UAE is keen on developing its partnerships with regional countries and friendly nations, as well as continuously monitoring global developments and updating its plans and projects accordingly. The ultimate goal is to attain a better world for the largest possible proportion of the global population.”

Another session hosts former Egyptian foreign minister Nabil Fahmy and political thinker Prof. Ghassan Salam to discuss the political state of the Arab world in 2017, in a panel moderated by Mohannad Khatib of Sky News Arabia. The session will explore the anticipated political outlook for the Arab world with a focus on terrorism and political conflicts in the region, while considering key predictions of how the region’s countries may address them.

The forum will also examine the regional economic outlook for 2017, presented by Natalia Tamirisa of the IMF. In addition, the forum presents two sessions forecasting the economic state of the world and the Arab region in 2017, consisting of a review of the most significant economic trends and their implications.

The first of these two sessions will feature Dr Mohammed El Erian, chair of US President Obama’s Global Development Council, and will look at broad global economic trends and predicted economic scenarios for various countries. Bloomberg Television anchor Manus Cranny will moderate the session.

In a separate keynote address, political scientist Dr Ian Bremmer, president and founder of political risk and research consultancy Eurasia Group, will present the “State of the World 2017” report. The forum will conclude with a presentation from the National Defence College about the potential impact of Donald Trump presidency on the Middle East in 2017, and how the region can approach the new environment that will take hold as of next January.

www.khaleejtimes.com

8 Comments on "How will the Arab world be next year?"

Cloggie on Sun, 11th Dec 2016 10:04 am

The main thing that will happen in the Arab Middle-East is increased Turkish involvement in the Gulf, building on recent strategic partnerships with KSA, UAE and Dubai:

http://www.atimes.com/article/saudi-arabia-and-turkey-casting-new-strategic-partnership/

Turkey will be the military, economic and skills powerhouse, KSA will do the finance.

The influence of the West will wane, that of religion increase.

Assad will recapture the entire western part of the country and begin rebuilding. In the long term, Syria will be split up. Turkey, KSA and the rest of the Gulf will keep propping up the rebels and a Sunni corridor between Turkey and KSA will be created, through Eastern Syria and Western Iraq. Russia can live with that, as no pipelines from the Gulf (either Iranian or Qatari) will be built. And Russia can keep its Mediterranean base in Tarsus. Game, set and match Moscow. And Trump won’t make difficulties either.

The Syrian West will remain secular, the East fundamentalist.

#OttomanEmpire2.0

joe on Sun, 11th Dec 2016 10:36 am

Have to say, its a good assessment cloggie. However I might add in they very strong possibility of another coup in Turkey, this one will pit the military against the government. This one will lead directly to military dictatorship and the splitting of NATO. Turkey simply cant be both in NATO and in Europe and in Arabia. Merkel is finally being forced to at least SAY the thing she should have said years ago to discourage mass migration but lets be honest, its too late. When the German passports get issued early next year, its game over for socialist-secular-Christian Europe. All deadline have passed vis-vis Turkey and status quo remains, Italy just voted against reform, knowing it harms its banks and the referendum is ignored Monte Pashi still gets its bail out. The ECB is fighting for its life, a tipping point is coming. Erdogans paranoia can only go so far, I predict Turkey will be the next Egypt, the only question is if they will be proRussian or not. Islamism is a fraud, it cant survive without US or other political backing, people dont want it. Extremism lives best in Europe and areas where muslims are not a majority like Nigeria. Heres another prediction, the Trump tax cuts will allow tight oil to go into full speed and the Opec cuts will be meaningless oil will be five bucks plus or minus where we are now.

onlooker on Sun, 11th Dec 2016 10:42 am

Worse with more conflict and more refugees.

penury on Sun, 11th Dec 2016 11:50 am

Cloggie, I like your dream, however I live in a nation which apparently would prefer to see unending conflict in the world to assure profits for the only industry left. Unless and until the dream of world conquest and domination are controlled there will never be peace in the M.E.

Hubert on Sun, 11th Dec 2016 11:06 pm