The World Economic Forum will be held in Davos this year against the backdrop of fundamental transformations taking place in the Middle East. Mirek Dusek, Director-General of the Forum, expresses cautious optimism about the future of the region, pointing to the reduction in escalation witnessed in the past few days. With the ceasefire in Gaza, the election of a president in Lebanon, and Syria turning the page on Bashar al-Assad’s regime. But what fuels this optimism, according to Dusek, is the vitality of some of the region’s economies, especially the Gulf economies. In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the 55th session of the Davos Forum, the prominent official praised the role these economies play in “supporting efforts to relaunch global growth.”
Geopolitical transformations
The World Economic Forum is paying special attention to the Middle East region at its 55th session in Davos, with Arab delegations participating in geopolitical and economic sessions and discussions on the transition to the “smart age.” This interest is due, according to Dusek, “to the historical relationship that has linked the region to the forum since its founding.” He says: “The Middle East has always been one of the forum’s main regions, and it is a region with the longest representation in the work of the World Economic Forum. In the 1970s and 1980s, the region’s leaders were among the first to engage in the work of the World Economic Forum.
He continued: “We (also) have long-term cooperation with various stakeholders in the Middle East. There are many companies that have become long-time partners of the forum and are participating here.”
Dusek identified two files within which Arab participation in the Forum’s work this year falls: Geopolitical and economic. On the political level, Dusek welcomed the ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the first batch of hostages. He said: “After months of suffering, it is a welcome development, and this will be on the agenda here.” We actually have a session dedicated to the humanitarian situation in Gaza, and we have invited the Palestinian government – the Palestinian Prime Minister – as well as the Israeli President. We expect that officials from both sides will appear here at this important time and exchange views.”
In addition, the forum was keen to extend an invitation to the new Syrian leadership to discuss the future of the country and its role in its Arab surroundings. “Syria will be on the agenda here,” Dusik said. We all know the human cost of the conflict there. The country is now going through a transitional period, and we hope to have a representative from Syria. We invited the Syrian Foreign Minister to be here – to understand their plans and see where they want to take the country. What is the economic path? But also, what is the path socially? How inclusive will the country be? What will relations be like with their neighbors?
While Dusik welcomed the steadfastness of the ceasefire in Lebanon and the reduction of escalation in Gaza, he stressed the need to be “vigilant” and try to “search for paths that support more calm in the long term.”
In fulfillment of the forum’s role as a “platform for dialogue,” Dusek drew attention to the invitation of Iranian Vice President Javad Zarif. He said: “Among all other interested parties, we will also listen to his opinions here, and he will participate in the dialogue.”
The vitality of Gulf economies
When speaking about the second file, within which Saudi Arabia’s participation falls, Dusik let his guard down, painting a brighter picture for the future of the region. He said: “There is vitality in some economies in the Middle East, especially in the Gulf. I think it is important to realize that,” he continued: “When we see international interest in the Middle East, I think it is important to be clear about the opportunities available and where the challenges lie. “So, there will be a very strong economic agenda regarding the trends in the Middle East.”
The Director General of “Davos” said, “The plans of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the plans of the United Arab Emirates, and the plans of Qatar (highlight) some of the important roles that all of these economies play in global efforts around trade and around development. “Frankly, about restarting growth for the global economy.”
“We look forward to returning to Saudi Arabia.”
Dusek touched on the relationship between the World Economic Forum and Saudi Arabia, pointing out that it is “the only country in the region that is a member of the G20, and a very important economic player, not only in the region, but on the global level.”
Regarding the success of the special meeting organized by the forum in Riyadh last year, Dusek said: “We were very happy to organize the special meeting (in Riyadh), which was really discussing ways to develop energy and international cooperation, and we look forward to returning.”
He continued: “We are also very happy that there is a very strong delegation from the Saudi government here. (This has become) a beautiful tradition for us, over the past few years,” he said, adding that the members of the delegation “are very active in the future of trade, the future of energy, and the future of investment, especially towards emerging markets.”
Dusek expressed the forum’s happiness with “the long-term cooperation that brings us together” in Saudi Arabia, and with the participation of “many companies from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the forum’s work.”
Ukraine war
In addition to the participation of Middle Eastern delegations in the forum, Dusek was keen to highlight the role of “Davos” in discussing ways of cooperation to resolve global crises, especially with the Russian-Ukrainian war entering its fourth year.
Regarding the participation of a large delegation from Kiev and the forum’s decision to exclude Russian participation for the third year in a row, Dusek said: “We are very happy to have President (Volodymyr) Zelensky here again. We look forward to him presenting his updated vision (…) and an understanding of the situation on the military front.”
The forum organizes meetings between the participating Ukrainian delegation, which includes the Minister of Economy, with “stakeholders committed to economic support for Ukraine.” While Dusik acknowledged the difficulty of planning reconstruction while the conflict continues, he stressed “the need to continue thinking about what needs to be done.”
Regarding the prospects for ending the war between Russia and Ukraine, which the new US President Donald Trump considered a priority, Dusik said, “The international situation around Ukraine is developing. We also know that President Zelensky has been quite clear about his views on the path to peace. So we will listen to him, and of course, we will give him a platform here, with the Europeans present as well. We will also hear what US President Donald Trump has to say (when he addresses the forum) in a live video broadcast on Thursday.”
He added: “What we are doing here is making sure that we can assist as much as we can with the dialogue required to help direct the path, we hope, towards ending the war in a just way and stopping the suffering.”
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