Business & Money | Sunday 24 January, 2016 6:40 am |

Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman is scheduled to inaugurate here on Sunday evening the three-day 9th Global Competitiveness Forum (GCF). The GCF is held in partnership with the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) as a leading annual international forum and private exhibition in Riyadh.

In a statement on the occasion, Governor of Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) Abdullatif Al-Othman said the forum will highlight the importance of innovation and creativity in developing the economic capabilities and potentials and integration of investments in different sectors.

Featuring over 80 international speakers and 2,500 participants from throughout the world, the forum will bring together global business leaders, international political leaders, selected intellectuals and journalists to network and discuss the positive impact organizational and national competitiveness can have on local, regional, global economic and social development. The 2016 forum will look at Competitive Sectors, focusing on the essential elements driving their competitiveness, the strategies that governments should follow to accelerate competitiveness and the role these sectors play in maintaining sustainable economic growth.

The GCF will draw focus on the priority sectors that have been identified to have a direct impact on economic and human development; sectors such as Healthcare and Life Sciences, Transport, Education, ICT, and the Services sector (i.e. Tourism, Financial Services, Real Estate, Professional Consulting) will be discussed.

The speakers this year include former-president of Mexico Vicente Fox, Governor and Chairman of the Board of Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) Abdullatif Al-Othman, Minister of Health Khalid A. Al Falih, Minister of Commerce and Industry Tawfiq Al-Rabeeah, Minister of Education Ahmed Al-Isa, Minister of Housing Majed Al-Hugail, President General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA)Sulaiman Al-Hamdan, President and Chief Executive Officer Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) Amin H. Nasser, US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Joseph W. Westphal, President, Chairman, and CEO , Lockheed Martin Corporation Marillyn A. Hewson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, PepsiCo Indra Nooyi.

Global and local perspectives on issues such as the importance of innovation and ensuring high levels of productivity toward achieving competitiveness in sectors will take a significant part in panel discussions. In addition, discussion will highlight the achievements of economic diversification and the creation of jobs for a growing youthful population.