Sam Hamdan, chairman and chief strategist for the Global Leadership Team and architect of WSIE. (AN photo)

JEDDAH, 7 April 2008 — Collaborative private sector, proactive government and innovative art can act as catalyst to bring about competitiveness and peace.

“It is as a commitment to this belief that we designed the World Summit on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (WSIE) to connect a new brand of innovative leadership to solve the most pressing issues currently facing the world,” Sam Hamdan, chairman and chief strategist of Global Leadership Team, Inc., told Arab News in an online interview.

“We really wanted to explore future innovations with a diverse group of experts. Our delegates specialize in media, culture, technology, trade and governance. By gathering them all together, we aspire to facilitate

unique business, policy, intellectual and spiritual partnerships,” he said in the context of the three-day 2008 WSIE, which was held in Dubai last week.

“Our goal is to inspire collaboration among leaders from all walks of life to use innovation as the catalyst for development and peace worldwide,” said Hamdan who is also the architect of the WSIE. “This summit provides an unparalleled experience that is designed to facilitate a change of perspective that will forever alter the way leaders look at their business, their partnerships, their future and the world.”

Even as constituent-led innovations drive corporate and government priorities, investment in education and knowledge is paramount and will play pivotal role in outlining the impact of collaborative innovation across various spheres, especially in the Arab world.

An Eclectic group of high profile, high-achieving mavericks from seven continents including CEOs, directors, deans, professors, artists, authors, philosophers, environmentalists and human rights activists from more than 70 countries has taken part in the WSIE deliberations. “The previous WSIE event held in Oman in 2006 helped launch a

a $1.4 billion development in Oman as well as the collaborative partnerships,” Hamdan said.

The Arab world has immense potential to become one of the most competitive regions in the world and innovation will be the key to harness this latent creative energy, talent and financial resources to drive success, achievements and recognition on the global platform.

“The future of the Arab world belongs to the present majority of the youth population. Innovation has a strong potential to achieve tangible social and spiritual transformation to break the veils of poverty, extremism and conflict,” he added.

Urging world leaders to commit to solutions that empower young Arab leaders with the knowledge, the resources and the policy environment needed for their successful future, he said: “Two million children die each year for a glass of clean water in Africa. When we are talking about thousands of Iraqi children who do not have access to quality medication whereas they are sitting on one of the largest oil reserves, we are compelled to ask — where is the moral order? The need of the hour, I believe, is that the role of innovation has to be improved because the entire future of the Arab world depends on this.”