Some JCCI Board members pose for a group photo with some guests at a gathering on the upcoming JEF.

The 15th Jeddah Economic Forum is set to take place this March and it will focus on privatization. Lama Al-Sulaiman, a JCCI Board member, noted that this forum will be in cooperation with the ministry of planning, saying that “we are not comparing this session with previous years, our goal is to improve and develop.”

The forum goes in line with the vision of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman and the Council of Economic and Development issues and the National Transformational Program, she remarked.

She noted that they work on enhancing the role of the private sector and its development and sustainability.

The forum aims also at enhancing the cooperation between the private and public sectors and exchange experience to improve quality control. “The ultimate role is to improve the living condition of the citizens,” noted Al-Sulaiman.

Answering a question about why not turning the forum into an independent institution, Al-Sulaiman said the members of the organizing committee have varying views and they agreed to keep the forum as is, noting that the current status is satisfying as long as they are maintaining development in the forum.

Sara Bugdady, a JCCI Board member, noted that the forum is a platform where the private sector, the public sector and those who show interest in economic issues can change visions and experiences. She added that citizens will have no direct benefit from the forum, but the media will present these ideas in a simplified way to the public.

Ziyad Al-Bassam, a JCCI Board member, said the forum managed to gain trust locally and internationally and therefore many officials and government bodies tend to launch initiatives at the forum and number of countries opt to send delegates to participate in the forum.

Al-Sulaimani further said they will have three different categories at the forum. The first is general sessions that will tackle privatization from the legal and financial point of view and its affect on the society and improvement of the private sector. Second there will be special sessions that tackle privatization in particular sectors like education, health, infrastructure, housing, airports, ports, electricity, among others. The final section is special sessions that are devoted to companies that seek further elaborations on privatization and opt for particular contact with officials.

Related articles across the web

• Ghana Public Sector Conference Awards Launched
• PSOJ, trade unionist on IMF's wage bill demand
• Public Sector Year in Review
• Washington unemployment rate rises slightly to 5.3 percent
• New Jersey's jobless rate dips in November
• St. Kitts-Nevis records impressive economic growth
• Australian public service allowances attacked: Institute of Public Affairs report
• Strasbourg court rules Hungary pension law violates European Convention on Human Rights
• Reasons for Joining AmeriCorps Beyond Public Service
• PUBLIC POLICY: Reviving the Public-Private Partnership By OREN M. LEVIN-WALDMAN, Ph.D.