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This year, the CNN CEO Debate, being held on the second day, will focus on the “Arab World Going Global”. The participating CEO’s will bring powerful and proven insights to the critical business and economic issues that lie ahead for the region. Furthermore, they will discuss, through personal experience and with a regional perspective, how the region as a whole, must prepare aggressively to move forward and enter the global economy on a level playing field.
Moderated by:
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John Defterios, Host, CNN News Channel
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Becky Anderson, Anchor and Correspondent,
CNN News Channel
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Nahed Mohammed Taher, PhD
Dr. Taher is the founder and CEO, in addition to her capacity as an executive director of the Gulf One Investment Bank. By holding this position, she is the first Female CEO of a Gulf Investment bank. Prior to that Dr. Nahed was a managing partner of Compass consulting, a financial advisory company. Before that she was a Chief Economist and Chairman of Risk and Portfolio Management Committee at the National Commercial Bank (NCB) in Jeddah.
She represented the Saudi government, the private sector, and chamber of commerce in many high level international business and banking events.
Dr. Nahed was ranked by FORBES magazine as no. 72 of the 100 most powerful women in the World. She also received recently the award of Businesswoman of the year 2006 by HH Prince Hamid Al-Nihayyan, In addition, she received the award of “Saudi Businesswoman of the year 2007” by HRH Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud.
Dr. Nahed M. Taher holds dual Masters Degrees in Financial Economics and a PhD in Monetary Economics from Lancaster University in the UK.
Dr. Taher served as a professor and head of the Economics Department at King Abdul Aziz University (KAAU). She was also a co-owner and a financial advisor to various private companies in the Kingdom. Dr. Nahed is a board member in a number of Saudi private companies and committees including:
• The OECD-MENA region Financial group
• Young President Organization (YPO)
• The Saudi Committee of the Eisenhower Fellowship.
• A board member in the Saudi German business group
• A board member in the Economic Committee of Mecca Al Mukaramah Region
• a Member of the Saudi Economic Association
• the Businesswomen’s Committee of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce,
• A Board Member of the Small-Medium Enterprises Center in the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce
 Dr. Saad H. Al Barrak -Deputy Chairman and Managing Director (CEO)
Dr. Al Barrak is a distinguished engineer and businessman of international repute. Since his appointment in 2002, under his tutelage Zain’s (formerly MTC) customer base has increased from 600,000 to a conglomerate of 21 operations with over 32.145 million active customers across the Middle East and Africa. In this period, Zain's market capitalization on the Kuwait Stock Exchange has increased from less than US$3 billion to now exceed $30 billion (September 6, 2007).Dr. Al Barrak holds a BSc in Electrical Engineering, an MSc in Systems Engineering from Ohio University, and a PhD in Information Systems & Technology Management from the University of London. He is also an alumnus of Harvard University. Prior to his appointment with MTC, Dr. Al Barrak was Managing Director of International Turnkey Systems (ITS), one of the leading IT companies in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. Under Dr. Al Barrak, ITS’s revenues grew from $5 million in 1985 to exceed $100 million in 2000. Dr. Al Barrak was Vice-Chairman of the Social Development Office (SDO) of the Amiri Diwan in Kuwait; Chairman of Egyptian software developer IT Soft; Chairman of Arab Telecom; and a non-executive Director of Arab Management Association in Cairo. In 2005 he received the Middle East’s ‘CEO of the Year’ award in the Information Communication Technology sector, and in 2003 he received the ‘E-businessman of the Year’ award in the region. Recently in September 2007, Dr Al-Barrak received the 2007 Lifetime Achievement Award from leading industry magazine COMMSMEA. Dr Al-Barrak is also an Executive Board Member of Celtel International.
Engineer Nasser H. Al Ansari
Chief Executive Officer, Qatari Diar Real Estate Investment Company
With a long and distinguished career covering every aspect of the design, analysis, planning, management and promotion of real estate propositions as well as the promotion of private sector investment through privatisation in public services, Nasser Al Ansari is uniquely qualified to lead Qatari Diar into the future.
Nasser Al Ansari is a graduate in Civil Engineering from the University of Miami in the United States of America. Following his graduation in the class of 1989/90, he began his career as a Project Co-ordinator for numerous construction and development projects with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Agriculture. Quickly promoted to Project Manager responsible for the New Doha International Airport, Doha Port and the prestigious West Bay Lagoon amongst other high profile projects, Nasser Al Ansari gained invaluable experience in maritime engineering, land reclamation and the optimization of land value. In these and similar projects he clearly demonstrated his considerable personal integrity, forward thinking and effective management skills.
In the year 2000 he was again promoted and appointed as the Assistant Undersecretary for Projects Development. In this role his main responsibilities involved assessing the feasibility of development projects throughout Qatar through the preparation and implementation of Technical and Economic Studies. He was also responsible at this time for the promotion of private sector investment through public sector privatization.
Nasser Al Ansari is a member of the Airport Steering Committee and has been a respected guest speaker at many local and international investment conferences and seminars in recent years.
Immediately prior to his appointment as CEO and Board Member of Qatari Diar, Nasser Al Ansari joined the office of the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs as Technical Advisor. It was during this time that the vision for Qatari Diar, as the means to both foster and support Qatar’s national development was shaped.
M. Shafik Gabr
Chairman and Managing Director
Artoc Group for Investment & Development
M. Shafik Gabr is Chairman and Managing Director of Artoc Group for Investment and Development, a multi-disciplined investment holding company headquartered in Mokattam Heights, Cairo, Egypt, with affiliates and subsidiaries that operate in diversified fields including: aerospace, automotive, communication and information technology, infrastructure (i.e. water, airport terminals and power), and heavy industrial projects, steel fabrication, utility equipment, engineered equipment, consumer products, publishing, real estate development, sports forecasting, heavy oil, transaction processing solutions and value added services. Artoc’s headquarters and the bulk of its activity are located in Egypt, but also maintains operations in the United States and the Czech Republic.
Mr. Gabr is also Chairman and a founding member of Egypt’s International Economic Forum, and Chairman of the ABC (Arab Business Council of the World Economic Forum). Mr. Gabr serves on the Egypt – US President's Council, and is also a member of the Council of 100 Leaders, a member of the Board of the Egyptian Center for Economic Studies (Cairo), a member of the Conference Board (International Counselor), and serves on the Council of the World Economic Forum (Geneva). Mr. Gabr joined in 2005 the Business Advisory Board of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and in 2007 the International Advisory Council of Zurich Financial Services.
Mr. Gabr was previously the Chairman of the Comesa (Common Market of East & South Africa), a member of the Executive Board of the International Chamber of Commerce (Paris), and the Prince of Wales Business Leaders Forum, and a member of the World Bank's Council of Advisors for the MENA Region. He also served as a Director on the Board of the Holding Company for Metallurgical Industries (which supervises 17 major state owned industries). Furthermore, Mr. Gabr was a founder of the American Chamber of Commerce in Egypt in 1982 and served as its first Egyptian President from 1995 until 1997. Mr. Gabr is a member of the Egyptian Businessmen’s Association (after serving on its board from 1996-1998).
Mr. Gabr received his BA in Economics and Management from the American University in Cairo and an MA degree in Economics from the University of London.
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