First Annual Forum of Think Tanks in Arab Countries Kicks off with Qatari Participation

Cairo, December 19 (QNA) - The first annual forum of think tanks in Arab countries kicked off Tuesday at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Arab League. The two-day event is held under the theme: "With thought, we achieve sustainable development". Deputy Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the Arab League Khalid Abdullah Al Ibrahim represented the State of Qatar in the forum. Addressing the inaugural session of the forum, Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the Media and Communication Sector of the Arab League Ambassador Ahmed Rashid Khattabi stated that the forum aims to formulate a meaningful vision with an ironclad commitment to serving the Arab causes. He emphasized that the event represents an occasion to lay out ideas and perceptions that would upgrade the collective performance of think tanks, as well as bolster their functions in grasping and envisioning the future, support decision makers in handling complex structural transformations, major challenges facing the Arab states at political, security, economic and social levels through perseverance and good planning, in addition to encouraging shared funding within the framework of real participatory culture among those centers to further promote their scientific capabilities. Khattabi hoped the forum would create a space to share rich expertise and experience to consolidate sustainable underpinnings for cooperation in the research field and launch a systematic partnership with professional Arab think tanks, pointing out that the event earns a special significance, especially that it comes after six years of updating a department within the organizational structure of the General-Secretariat of Arab League, pertaining to research and strategic studies. The gravity of challenges precipitates the pressing need for laying out a thoughtful and overarching project open to modernity in order to qualify the Arab region for an influential position globally, he added. (QNA)