Jordan king opens WEF, says Arab world stands at "gates to future"

Oct 22, 2011, 9:58 GMT

Dead Sea, Jordan - Jordan's King Abdullah II on Saturday opened a World Economic Forum conference at the Dead Sea resort, declaring that the Arab world at this juncture stood 'at the gates to the future.'

'Our region stands today at the gates to the future,' the monarch said in reference to the Arab uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt that inspired pro-reform unrest in several other Arab countries over the past nine months.

King Abdullah cited the four gates as: the gate of dignity, the gate of opportunity, the gate of democracy and the gate of peace and justice.

The three-day conference is held under the title 'Economic Growth and Job Creation in the Arab World' with the participation of about 1,000 delegates from 50 countries.

The gate of democracy, the king said, should not be 'just a political structure but a way of life, an entry to real reform, where people can come together as citizens and stakeholders.'

He urged a breakthrough in the stalemated Palestinian-Israeli peace process.

'Short-sighted leaders may think they can shut this gate. But the future for the Middle East and beyond is with the normalcy of peace ... a two-state solution with sovereign, viable and independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital,' he said.

King Abdullah urged participants in the conference to look into means for facing the economic challenges consequent on Arab uprisings, foremost securing 85 million jobs.

'This year's events have opened the way to positive change, but in many places, also created painful economic dislocations,' he said.

'Strategies are urgently needed and they must take place across the board - in economic life, in politics and policies, in social life and cultural values,' he added.

The discussions are scheduled to cover several areas including Arab-American relations, resource management, digital innovation and development, the impact of social media and the advancement of women and youth.

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