Page 133 - MOE ENGLISH PR REPORT - OCTOBER 2024

account for a remarkable 74 percent of the country's GDP. Despite rapidly evolving regional and
global economic landscapes, the UAE remains committed to implementing policies and strategies
that bolster economic competitiveness and sustainability, recognising the transformative power of
entrepreneurship, innovation, technology, and forward-thinking industries in shaping our nation's
future.”

“We continue our endeavours to stimulate growth in future sectors, such as renewable energy,
circular economy, AI, biotechnology, R&D, and advanced manufacturing. Moreover, a wide array of
initiatives was launched to enhance the competitiveness of the national entrepreneurship
ecosystem, empower women in entrepreneurship across diverse sectors, and support businesses
and startups operating in sectors of new economy, technology, and AI, in line with the objectives
outlined in the ‘We the UAE 2031’ vision,” she added.

She highlighed that the hosting of this conference by the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of
Government is yet another reflection of the UAE’s effort to promote global dialogue on sustainable
economic progress and addressing related challenges.

For his part, Dr. Ali bin Sebaa Al Marri, Executive President of MBRSG, said, “The Mohammed Bin
Rashid School of Government is committed to playing its part in the UAE’s vision for a sustainable
future, which significantly prioritises economic diversification. MBRSG not only strives to empower
the leaders of tomorrow, but also to develop datasets, insight, and tools for government leaders to
use in their informed, evidence-based decision-making process.”
“The Global Conference on Economic Diversification – the first in this annual series of events –
fulfils both of these objectives, building on the School’s thought leadership in developing the Global
Economic Diversification Index” he explained. “It offers leading specialists and government
stakeholders from around the world a platform to share cutting-edge thematic research, analyse
global findings and develop policy insights, while also bringing influential decision makers and
prominent experts together to discuss challenges to economic diversification and chart the way
forward.”

Dr. Fadi Salem, Director of the Policy Research Department at MBRSG and co-chair of the
conference remarked that “the first edition of the conference has attracted extensive global
participation and welcomed more than 150 experts and participants from 30 countries and over
130 local, regional, and international organisations, including government and academic
institutions. Around 70 papers were submitted from academic institutions around the world and
reviewed by an international scientific committee of thought leaders and academic experts. A total
of 19 papers were accepted to be published by the MBRSG in the conference proceedings, which
will be made accessible to researchers and practitioners worldwide.”

The agenda for day one the conference included a series of panel discussions, roundtables, and
workshops. Following Alia bint Abdulla Al Mazrouei’s speech, Prof. Cesar Hidalgo, Professor of
Behavioural Sciences at the Toulouse School of Economics and Co-author of the Economics
Complexity Index, delivered another keynote address on the links between economic diversification
and complexity.

https://www.wam.ae/article/b5ykysq-inaugural-global-conference-economic