{"id":4479,"date":"2015-05-22T11:51:43","date_gmt":"2015-05-22T10:51:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/english.thesunrisetoday.com\/?p=4479"},"modified":"2015-05-22T11:51:43","modified_gmt":"2015-05-22T10:51:43","slug":"king-abdullah-opens-world-economic-forum-in-jordan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/english.thesunrisetoday.com\/index.php\/king-abdullah-opens-world-economic-forum-in-jordan\/","title":{"rendered":"King Abdullah opens World Economic Forum in Jordan"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"King<\/a>King Abdullah of Jordan on Friday said projects worth $18 billion will be built in the country over the next decade, as he formally opened the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa.
\nA 10-year economic blueprint for the country will be based largely on public-private partnerships, the king said at the opening of the forum at the Dead Sea Resort.
\n\u201cOur 10-year economic blueprint – Jordan’s 2025 – will enable us to move fast to diversify resources, to develop infrastructure, and capitalize on strengths,\u201d he told delegates.
\n\u201cThis plan will be delivered through public and private partnerships, and to a large extent through projects of over $18 billion to be announced today.\u201d
\nHe thanked Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and the UAE for their support over the years, saying that the economic prospects for Jordan are good despite the challenges it faces.
\n\u201cJordan\u2019s growth is rising again,\u201d he said.
\nThe prime minister, Abdullah Ensour, is expected to announce details of the investment plan later on Friday.
\nKing Abdullah said there were great opportunities across the region as a whole.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s a time for a new push, engaging all sectors to create inclusive growth,\u201d King Abdullah said.
\nKlaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, said violent extremism in the region would inevitably form part of the program.
\n\u201cIt is a challenge for all of us in politics, business and civil society,\u201d he said. \u201cIt is a cancer which – if not stamped out – is spreading globally.\u201d
\nAbdel Fattah El Sisi, the Egyptian president, and Palestinian political leader Mahmoud Abbas were also in attendance at the opening of the forum.
\nOmar Alghanim, chief executive of Alghanim Industries, said at an earlier press conference that jobs were key to the future prosperity of the region.
\n\u201cWe also have the largest youth unemployment in the world,\u201d he said.
\nHe also pointed to the lack of bankruptcy laws in the region, which made people afraid to launch their own businesses.
\n\u201cWe have a problem across the region – we don’t have bankruptcy laws in most countries,\u201d he said, adding that business people face criminal liability if they fail in business.
\n\u201cWe… need to go and tell our governments that that is unacceptable,\u201d he added.
\nThe World Economic Forum, which runs until Saturday, is expected to attract about 800 business and political leaders.<\/p>\n

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