- Speakers include His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chancellor of HCT; Nabil Ali Al Yousuf, Director-General, The Executive Office of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum; Mr. Mohammed Alshaya, Executive Chairman of M.H. Alshaya Co.; Donald D. Humphreys, Senior VP and Treasurer, Exxon Mobil Corporation; Ammar Al Khudairy,CEO of Amwal Al Khaleej and Jeremy Siegel, the Russell E. Palmer Professor of Finance
- Over 300 Wharton alumni expected to attend the forum from March 11-12, 2009
- Lead sponsors include Agility, Amwal Al Khaleej, Booz & Co., Dubai Holding, and M.H. Alshaya Co.
Dubai, February 16, 2009 — The first-ever Wharton Global Alumni Forum to be held in the Middle East will bring together in Dubai global and regional business leaders, government officials and senior Wharton School faculty members to exchange ideas and solutions focused on a world economy that is challenged due to the current financial crisis. The forum organised by Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, the world’s first collegiate business school, is themed ‘At the Crossroads for Global Economic Change’ and is expected to attract over 400 Wharton graduates from all over the world. The event will be held from March 11-12, 2009 at the Grand Hyatt, Dubai.
The forum will focus on the Middle East as the region continues to play an increasingly important role in the global economy. Topics such as the challenges faced by Middle East & North Africa (MENA) multi-nationals; the impact of global financial turmoil on entrepreneurship in the Middle East; new and unexpected obstacles and opportunities for education, culture and the media in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries; will feature prominently in the panel discussions.
Commenting on the forum, Mr. Mohammed Alshaya, Chairman of the Organizing Committee for Wharton Global Alumni Forum, a Wharton graduate and Executive Chairman of M. H. Alshaya Co, said: “Over the years, the region’s business fabric has evolved considerably with economic diversification opening up new opportunities. The Dubai forum will serve as a dynamic platform for information exchange and insightful discussions, led by Wharton’s distinguished faculty members and the region’s business thought-leaders.”
His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan, UAE Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research and Chancellor of the Higher Colleges of Technology; Nabil Ali Al Yousuf, Director-General, The Executive Office of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum; Donald D. Humphreys, Senior Vice President and Treasurer, Exxon Mobil Corporation; Ammar Al Khudairy, CEO of Amwal Al Khaleej and Jeremy Siegel, the Russell E. Palmer Professor of Finance; are some of the speakers confirmed to participate at the event.
The two-day forum will also host Wharton graduates and regional business leaders including Dr. Saad Al Barrak; Deputy Chairman and Managing Director, Zain Group; Joe Saadi, Chairman, Booz & Co; and Sami Baroum, Managing Director, Savola Group; among other Wharton alumni.
Wharton School Dean Thomas S. Robertson said: “The Middle East is at the cross-roads of a new economic era, which will be influenced and shaped by the shifts in the global economy. The first-ever Wharton School Global Alumni Forum in the region, comes at a time when the world is seeking insights, innovation and leadership that will bring about a new level of prosperity worldwide.”
The lead sponsors of the event are Agility, Amwal Al Khaleej, Booz & Co., Dubai Holding, and M.H. Alshaya Co. Event sponsor is National Bank of Kuwait (NBK) and Africa Emergent: Transformational Leadership is the platinum sponsor.
Since 1993, The Wharton School Global Alumni Forums have been held in world’s leading cities such as Shanghai, Mumbai, London, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro, and Paris. The forum in Dubai is one of Wharton’s three global meets this year, the other two being held in Bogota and Beijing. Please visit Wharton Global Alumni Forum in Dubai for a full listing of the speakers and topics.
About the Wharton School
The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania — founded in 1881 as the first collegiate business school — is recognized globally for intellectual leadership and ongoing innovation across every major discipline of business education. The most comprehensive source of business knowledge in the world, Wharton bridges research and practice through its broad engagement with the global business community. The school has more than 4,700 undergraduate, MBA, executive MBA, and doctoral students; more than 12,000 annual participants in executive education programs; and an alumni network of more than 84,000 graduates.
For more information, please contact:
Lisa George, ASDA’A Burson-Marsteller, Dubai, UAE
Tel: (+971 4) 334 4550
E-mail: l.george@asdaa.com
Peter Winicov, Wharton Communications
Tel: +1-215-746-6471
E-mail: winicov@wharton.upenn.edu