AMMAN - Jordan's King Abdullah II on Friday called for the Middle East to become an economic "powerhouse" that could help reshape the global economy after the credit crunch.
Speaking on the opening day of the World Economic Forum by the Dead Sea, the king said: "At this year's forum, you will be addressing the most critical issues of our time. Let your answers be just as bold."
He urged "answers that do not simply help our countries get through the global economic downturn but ensure the region emerges as a powerhouse: the go-to place for opportunity and wealth-building and a determining factor in reshaping the global economy."
The process should begin with "a region-wide consensus on action - a home-grown, home-based approach to unity, progress and peace," Abdullah said, urging Middle Eastern countries to work together.
"To succeed, we must build regional multi-sector, multi-skill partnerships. No single entity owns the region's most pressing challenges - or their solution," the king said.
Up-to-date education systems, management of water and other scarce resources, health or environmental matters and urban development are among priorities that can be addressed most effectively at regional level, he told the forum.
Among the 1,300 delegates from 80 countries at the forum are Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Iraqi Vice President Adel Abdel Mahdi, Iraqi Oil Minister Hussein al-Shahristani and Qatar Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jabr al-Thani, Jordanian authorities said.
Abdullah said regional unity is most evident in the Arab Peace Initiative, which offers recognition of Israel by 57 countries in return for the establishment of a Palestinian state.
"We have committed. So, now, must Israel. This is true security - security that barriers and armed forces cannot bring," said the king, who held talks with Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday ahead of the Israeli prime minister's first official meeting with US President Barack Obama on Monday.
Among debates at the three-day forum, participants will discuss the wisdom of Middle Eastern countries investing in the United States.
"The United States financed its economic boom in the past decade by borrowing from the rest of the world, and is now successfully attracting world savings to finance its economic recovery programmes," according to the conference programme.
"Is it prudent for Middle East sovereign wealth funds to invest in shoring up the US economy?" it asked.
Improving the global reputation of Middle Eastern countries will be the subject of another discussion.
"The Beijing Olympics have inarguably boosted China's image globally, confirming the country's world power status. Can the Middle East emulate the Chinese soft power model to enhance its standing in the international community?" the programme asked.
Other topics on the agenda include corporate social responsibility, corporate governance, taming oil market volatility, sustainability and alternative energy.
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