UAE- Arab Strategy Forum a valuable research base: paper

ABU DHABI 16th December 2015 (WAM) -- A UAE newspaper has said that in just a few years since its launch under the patronage of Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum the Arab Strategy Forum has turned out to be an authoritative platform to foresee the future and identify potential economic and political trends globally and across the Arab world.

"Now as per Sheikh Mohammed's directive this platform will be used to build a trusted model for the analysis of economic and geopolitical data" said Gulf Today in an editorial on Wednesday.

Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Gargawi Minister for Cabinet Affairs and Chairman of the Executive Office of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed and Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee of the Forum rightly observed at the opening session how the world is very different now from a year ago.

"Arab Spring became winter; now we have Daesh; wars have started; America and Russia are in Syria."

"The cost of the Arab Spring in the region is estimated to be US$833 billion with a 1.3 million death toll and 14 million refugees as a result. Certain other key observations also emerged from the forum. The current global landscape is characterised by several important transitions the expected shift in US monetary policy China's move to a new growth model and the move to lower global oil prices.

"In many ways these transitions are healthy and necessary yet they also raise uncertainty posing a huge challenge to policymakers. These global transitions pose significant challenges for Arab countries. Low oil prices in particular are taking a toll on fiscal and external balances in oil exporters raising the need for deeper fiscal adjustment and making a diversified private sector all the more urgent.

"Across the Arab world extensive structural reforms that promote job creation and inclusive growth remain a priority. China's growth rebalancing could also impact Arab countries to the extent that it translates into higher than envisaged financial market volatility or further decline in commodity prices.

"Among the interesting predictions about the state of the world in 2016 are that Syria Iraq Yemen Libya Ukraine South and East China seas are going to be key conflict areas and geopolitical hotspots.

"The major goal of the forum is to better understand the events and secure the future for the next generation. It is heartening that the valuable contributions by the participants are given due value and the entire region is benefited in the process" concluded the Sharjah-based daily.