The Arab Economic Forum 2022 will be held on 22 December 2022 under the patronage of H.E. Najib Mikati, President of the Council of Ministers of Lebanon, at the Phoenicia Intercontinental Hotel in Beirut.
AEF 2022 will be organized by Al-Iktissad Wal-Aamal Group, Lebanese Economic organizations, Union of Arab Chambers and the Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL) in cooperation with the League of Arab States.
The Forum will come on the heels of the maritime border demarcation agreement signed lately and which expected to reinforce stability on the borders and pave the way for Lebanon to launch the process of exploration and production in its offshore oil and gas blocks.
The new agreement is expected to help in mobilizing the investments needed to fund the exploration, production and marketing phases as well as to build the oil and gas national supply chain and put in place needed governance to safeguard expected revenues from exports and provide badly needed resources to implement necessary economic, fiscal, monetary and banking reforms that will enhance the potential of a sustainable recovery from current economic stagflation.
AEF 2022 will bring together a large number of high-level participants including ministers, business leaders and investors from Lebanon and many other countries in addition to a large participation of Lebanese expatriates from around the world.
Speeches
We are pleased to share the speeches of some of the leaders who participated in the 28th ArabĀ EconomicĀ Forum
Sponsors
Organizers & Partners
Schedule:
Registration of participants
Opening session:
- Mr. Raouf Abou Zaki, CEO, Al-Iktissad Wal-Aamal Group
- Mr. Sameer Nass, President, Union of Arab Chambers and Chairman of Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- H.E. Mr. Mohamad Choucair, President, Lebanese Economic Organizations
- H.E. Mr. Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary General, League of Arab States
AWARDS CEREMONY:
- Sameer Nass, President, Union of Arab Chambers and Chairman of Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry
- Ahmad Al Wakil, President, Union of Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry "ASCAME" and Chairman of Alexandria Chamber of Commerce
- H.E. Mr. Najib Mikati, President of the Council of Ministers, Lebanon
SIGNING TWO MOU AGREEMENTS BETWEEN:
- Union of Arab Chambers and Arab Organization for Agricultural Development āArab Bureau for Agriculture Entrepreneurshipā
- Union of Arab Chambers and MEAZone Ltd.
Coffee Break
Session I: the Road to Oil
After the historic marine borders’ demarcation agreement, how will Lebanon move into the next phases particularly into exploration, production and marketing of its potential oil and gas finds? How could the national oil and gas industry take shape? How could the oil and gas domestic supply chain develop? How to strengthen the governance framework of the oil and gas sector? What are the likely benefits the Lebanese economy could derive from the emergence of a national oil and gas industry? How to build robust national supply chains to the fledgling oil and gas industry? How to create business and investment opportunities for local companies and therefore help create new jobs?
Moderator: Dr. Walid Khadoury, Energy Writer
Panelists:
H.E. Dr. Walid Fayad, Minister of Energy and Water, Lebanon
Eng. Wissam Zahabi, Board Member and Head of Economic and Finance Department, Petroleum Administration Authority (LPA), Lebanon
Mr. Ghaby Daaboul, Board Member and Head of the Legal Department, Petroleum Administration Authority (LPA), Lebanon
Eng. Wissam Chbat, Baord Member and Head of Geology and Geophysics Department, Petroleum Administration Authority (LPA), Lebanon
Mr. Ali Hamdan, Advisor to H.E. the Speaker of the Parliament for Foreign Affairs and Media, Lebanon
Dr. Fadi Jawad, Board Member, Lebanese Business Council, Kuwait
Mr. Romain de la Martiniere, Director, Exploration, Egypt, Lebanon and Cyprus, Total Energies
Session II: The Challenge of Growth and Mobilizing Investments in The Arab Countries
How can the Arab countries face the implications of the prevailing global economic and geopolitical risks? What are the needed reforms to safeguard growth and mobilize private capital and create jobs? How regional and global partnerships can help boost growth and accelerate capital flows into the region?
Lebanon in the Midst of the Economic Collapse, How and when can Lebanon get out of this crisis after more than three years of economic and monetary crisis? Is it possible to implement reforms and reach a program with the International Monetary Fund that opens the doors of international financing and aid again? How can growth, confidence and investment be restored?
Moderator: H.E. Dr. Khaled Hanafy, Secretary General, Union of Arab Chamber
Panelists:
- H.E. Mr. Amine Salam, Minister of Trade and Commerce, Lebanon
- H.E. Mr. George Bouchikian, Minister of Industry, Lebanon
- Dr. Mazen Soueid, Chairman and CEO, The Investment Development Authority of Lebanon (IDAL)
- Mr. Alain Bejjani, CEO, Majid Al Futtaim Holding (MAF), UAE
- Mr. Jacques Sarraf, Chairman, Global Lebanese Investors
Session III: Potential Role of Lebanese Immigrants in the Recovery and Future of Lebanon
The Lebanese diaspora has always been the key driver of capital flows to Lebanon and a main pillar of the economic mainstay of the country. This has been more evident than ever during the current economic and financial crisis engulfing the country since 2019. What future Lebanese emigrants envision for the country? How do they see the way out of the current crisis? What reforms they seek to remedy the crisis?
Chairman: H.E. Mr. Najib Mikati, President of the Council of Ministers, Lebanon
Moderators:
- H.E. Eng. Ziad Makary, Minister of Information, Lebanon
- H.E. Mr. Mohamad Choucair, President, Lebanese Economic Organizations
- Eng. Samir Al-Khatib, President, Lebanese Gulf Businessmen Councils Federation
- Mr. Raouf Abou Zaki, CEO, Al-Iktissad Wal-Aamal Group
Panelists:
- Mr. Mohamad Chahine, President, Lebanese Business and Investment Council in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- Mr. Rabih El-Amine, President, Lebanese Executives Council (LEC), Saudi Arabia
- Eng. Ali Al Khalil, Chairman, Lebanese Business Council, Kuwait
- Eng. Mohamad Bashar Al Abdallah, President, Lebanese Businessmen Association in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
- Dr. Fayssal El Husseini, Director, CARDIF Group, France
- Dr. Habib Jaafar, Executive Chairman, Apple And Pears Limited, Nigeria
- Mr. Selim El Zyr, Vice Chairman and Co-Founder, Rotana Group
- Mr. Elie Rizk, President, Lebanese-Gulf Economic Development Commission
- Mr. Fadi Saab, President, Lebanese-Qatari Business Council
- Mr. Nidal Abou Zaki, Secretary General, Lebanese Business Council in Dubai, UAE
- Mr. Nassib I. Ghobril, Chief Economist, Head of Research and Economic Studies, Byblos Bank, Lebanon
