U.S.-ARAB CHAMBER SUPPORTS FIRST-EVER MARSEILLE FORUM
Two-Day Gathering in France Explores Euro-Arab-American Economic Cooperation
The National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC) served as a supporting institution of the just-concluded "Forum de Marseille," a first-of-its-kind conference dedicated to promoting greater economic cooperation among Europe, the Middle East and North African (MENA) nations, the United States, and persons of Arab descent from around the world. Held in Marseille, France -- long characterized as a "crossroads to the Orient" -- the Forum brought together over 250 high-level decisionmakers, including more than 50 speakers from 15 nations.
David Hamod, President & CEO of the U.S.-Arab Chamber, was a guest speaker at the opening session, as well as at the closing session. During the opening session, he focused on "three major Arab world events over the past 30 years that have captured the attention of the American people": the intifada ("uprising") of the mid-1980s, the September 11 tragedy in 2001, and this year's Arab Spring. Of these three events, Hamod suggested, the Arab Spring has the most potential to improve relations between the United States and the Arab world, particularly among youth, which now make up 60 to 70 percent of the region's population.
Hamod noted that the United States, as a major investor in the MENA region, is well positioned to assist Arab nations in strengthening their economic regulations. This is especially true for trade agreements, he said, because America's Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are widely regarded as the international "gold standard," with their tough provisions on environmental and labor issues. Hamod also argued that Americans and their European counterparts can play a key role in bolstering employment opportunities for Arab youth through training and technology transfer, both of which are vital to the MENA region's transition to knowledge-based economies.
Hamod concluded, "We commend the organizers of the Marseille Forum, CAPmena and EuroMed Management, for bringing together business and academic leaders from throughout the Mediterranean and beyond. This sort of 'out-of-the-box' thinking is essential to tackling such thorny issues as burgeoning economic disparities, the digital divide, and 'brain drain' from the Arab world."
Francois Aissa Touazi, President of the Euro-Arab think tank CAPmena and a Frenchman of Algerian descent, was the driving force behind the two-day Marseille Forum. In his remarks at the Forum, he noted, "We envisioned this Forum as a space for dialogue and exchange designed to bring out a world where Europe, the Maghreb region, and Mashreq countries will face the challenges of transition and growth together."
The theme of the Forum, "Sharing Prosperity and Vision," revolved around commercial, political, and cultural measures designed to strengthen Arab world partnerships. Panel discussions focused on economic and financial opportunities, the role of energy and utilities, the importance of Arab Diasporas, and economic growth through culture, education, health, and sports.
H.E. Mohamed Jaham Al Kuwari, Qatar's Ambassador to the Republic of France, helped to open the Forum. In his welcoming remarks, he said, "At a time when the Arab world is undergoing profound changes and where Europe is undergoing a severe economic crisis, the Forum de Marseille is helpful. Indeed, I would say it's indispensable. It is a time to reflect -- together -- on the challenges of transition and growth. From the Forum, I'm sure, will come "a common vision and a shared prosperity."
H.E. Usamah Al-Kurdi, a member of Saudi Arabia's Consultative Council and a Board member of the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce, discussed Saudi Arabia as an important economic destination. From a business perspective, he said, the Kingdom is budgeting $150 billion this year for development projects. Saudi Arabia has become the eleventh easiest global market in which to do business, he noted, as well as the eighth most attractive destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), according to UNCTAD.
In response to a question about women in the Kingdom, Al-Kurdi suggested that women's empowerment began in Saudi Arabia in the 1960s, when their education was formalized. Lately, he said, women have been approved to be members in the Shura Council (Parliament), as well as voters and candidates in municipal elections.
The port city of Marseille is in the midst of a major upgrade that will, in the words of its leadership, restore the city to its "rightful place as a major economic, social, and cultural center of Europe." Under a 25-year plan launched under the auspices of the Euroméditerranée Urban Development Agency (EPAEM), Marseille will be Europe's Capital of Culture in 2013, part of EPAEM's efforts to transform Marseille into one of Europe's Top 20 cities. The initiative envisions investment of 7.5 billions Euros in coming years, with the vast majority of that coming from the private sector.
One showcase of this development, the largest urban renewal initiative in Europe, will be an urban regeneration zone with more than one million square meters of office space and 150 acres of parks and public spaces. Another showcase will be the creation of an EcoCité that is devoted to environmental sustainability and an improvement in the quality of life in Marseille. In the same spirit, Marseille's waterfront will be redrawn to include three miles of public and private promenades, as well as a new Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilization, the first major national museum located outside of Paris.
For centuries, the strategic location of Marseille on the Mediterranean has made that city a gateway to France for millions of visitors from all over the world. This includes generations of immigrants from North Africa, many of whom have embraced Marseille as home. This was a focus of the Forum's final panel discussion, which centered on the role of Arab Diasporas in economic development and the promotion of civil society.
NUSACC's David Hamod, a member of that panel, talked about the experience of Arab-Americans, who are typical of many ethnic communities in the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, almost 90 percent of American Arabs have high school diplomas, and Arab-Americans have secured advanced educational degrees at roughly double America's national average. The same holds true for mean individual income, where Americans of Arab descent earn incomes that are 27 percent higher than the national average.
Hamod pointed out that nearly nine out of ten Arab-Americans work in the private sector, which is the mirror opposite of the Arab world, where some 90 percent of mainstream employment may be found in government jobs. He suggested that the diametrical difference can evidently be chalked up to market conditions in the United States which, more than any other nation in the world, accepts ethnic diversity, encourages entrepreneurship, cultivates risk, and tolerates failure. Hamod concluded, "If I were to sum up the American ethos in just a few words, it would be this: 'Everybody deserves a second chance'."
David Hamod, President & CEO of the U.S.-Arab Chamber, was a guest speaker at the opening session, as well as at the closing session. During the opening session, he focused on "three major Arab world events over the past 30 years that have captured the attention of the American people": the intifada ("uprising") of the mid-1980s, the September 11 tragedy in 2001, and this year's Arab Spring. Of these three events, Hamod suggested, the Arab Spring has the most potential to improve relations between the United States and the Arab world, particularly among youth, which now make up 60 to 70 percent of the region's population.
Hamod noted that the United States, as a major investor in the MENA region, is well positioned to assist Arab nations in strengthening their economic regulations. This is especially true for trade agreements, he said, because America's Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are widely regarded as the international "gold standard," with their tough provisions on environmental and labor issues. Hamod also argued that Americans and their European counterparts can play a key role in bolstering employment opportunities for Arab youth through training and technology transfer, both of which are vital to the MENA region's transition to knowledge-based economies.
Hamod concluded, "We commend the organizers of the Marseille Forum, CAPmena and EuroMed Management, for bringing together business and academic leaders from throughout the Mediterranean and beyond. This sort of 'out-of-the-box' thinking is essential to tackling such thorny issues as burgeoning economic disparities, the digital divide, and 'brain drain' from the Arab world."
Francois Aissa Touazi, President of the Euro-Arab think tank CAPmena and a Frenchman of Algerian descent, was the driving force behind the two-day Marseille Forum. In his remarks at the Forum, he noted, "We envisioned this Forum as a space for dialogue and exchange designed to bring out a world where Europe, the Maghreb region, and Mashreq countries will face the challenges of transition and growth together."
The theme of the Forum, "Sharing Prosperity and Vision," revolved around commercial, political, and cultural measures designed to strengthen Arab world partnerships. Panel discussions focused on economic and financial opportunities, the role of energy and utilities, the importance of Arab Diasporas, and economic growth through culture, education, health, and sports.
H.E. Mohamed Jaham Al Kuwari, Qatar's Ambassador to the Republic of France, helped to open the Forum. In his welcoming remarks, he said, "At a time when the Arab world is undergoing profound changes and where Europe is undergoing a severe economic crisis, the Forum de Marseille is helpful. Indeed, I would say it's indispensable. It is a time to reflect -- together -- on the challenges of transition and growth. From the Forum, I'm sure, will come "a common vision and a shared prosperity."
H.E. Usamah Al-Kurdi, a member of Saudi Arabia's Consultative Council and a Board member of the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce, discussed Saudi Arabia as an important economic destination. From a business perspective, he said, the Kingdom is budgeting $150 billion this year for development projects. Saudi Arabia has become the eleventh easiest global market in which to do business, he noted, as well as the eighth most attractive destination for Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), according to UNCTAD.
In response to a question about women in the Kingdom, Al-Kurdi suggested that women's empowerment began in Saudi Arabia in the 1960s, when their education was formalized. Lately, he said, women have been approved to be members in the Shura Council (Parliament), as well as voters and candidates in municipal elections.
The port city of Marseille is in the midst of a major upgrade that will, in the words of its leadership, restore the city to its "rightful place as a major economic, social, and cultural center of Europe." Under a 25-year plan launched under the auspices of the Euroméditerranée Urban Development Agency (EPAEM), Marseille will be Europe's Capital of Culture in 2013, part of EPAEM's efforts to transform Marseille into one of Europe's Top 20 cities. The initiative envisions investment of 7.5 billions Euros in coming years, with the vast majority of that coming from the private sector.
One showcase of this development, the largest urban renewal initiative in Europe, will be an urban regeneration zone with more than one million square meters of office space and 150 acres of parks and public spaces. Another showcase will be the creation of an EcoCité that is devoted to environmental sustainability and an improvement in the quality of life in Marseille. In the same spirit, Marseille's waterfront will be redrawn to include three miles of public and private promenades, as well as a new Museum of European and Mediterranean Civilization, the first major national museum located outside of Paris.
For centuries, the strategic location of Marseille on the Mediterranean has made that city a gateway to France for millions of visitors from all over the world. This includes generations of immigrants from North Africa, many of whom have embraced Marseille as home. This was a focus of the Forum's final panel discussion, which centered on the role of Arab Diasporas in economic development and the promotion of civil society.
NUSACC's David Hamod, a member of that panel, talked about the experience of Arab-Americans, who are typical of many ethnic communities in the United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, almost 90 percent of American Arabs have high school diplomas, and Arab-Americans have secured advanced educational degrees at roughly double America's national average. The same holds true for mean individual income, where Americans of Arab descent earn incomes that are 27 percent higher than the national average.
Hamod pointed out that nearly nine out of ten Arab-Americans work in the private sector, which is the mirror opposite of the Arab world, where some 90 percent of mainstream employment may be found in government jobs. He suggested that the diametrical difference can evidently be chalked up to market conditions in the United States which, more than any other nation in the world, accepts ethnic diversity, encourages entrepreneurship, cultivates risk, and tolerates failure. Hamod concluded, "If I were to sum up the American ethos in just a few words, it would be this: 'Everybody deserves a second chance'."
