Abu Dhabi: The Ministry of Economy has announced that the second edition of the UAE Economic Planning Forum (EPF), organised by the Ras Al Khaimah Department of Economic Development at the initiative of the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development (ADDED) will run from October 7- 8 at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Ras Al Khaimah.
Focused on the theme Creativity and Innovation for a diversified and sustainable economy’, the second edition will take place under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qassimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah, with the support of the UAE Ministry of Economy.
Announcing the two-day forum, Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, stressed the importance of the EPF as an annual interactive platform that strengthens collaboration and integration between the Ministry of Economy and departments of economic development across the seven emirates in order to realise the forum’s objectives and highlight the role of each contributing entity in achieving sustainable economic development for the country across sectors, both regionally and internationally.
Reiterating the important role of the second edition of the EPF in following up on the outcomes of the inaugural forum in Fujairah last year, Al Mansouri noted that the Ras Al Khaimah event will pave the way for greater communication between all departments of economic development in the country. He said this would in turn lead to wide-ranging discussions on issues pertaining to the planning and policy development of each emirate in order to unify goals and efforts.
Al Mansouri thanked the Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development for launching the EPF and for its continuing efforts in sustaining the quality of the platform. The Minister also commended the efforts of Ras Al Khaimah in organising the second cycle of the forum that convenes state-linked stakeholders to propose initiatives, ideas, projects and ambitious plans based on creativity and innovation.
Drawing the participation of high-level officials from economic departments, government, semi-government and private sector organisations, the two-day forum will comprise an opening session as well as four main sessions. The inaugural session will include keynote speeches by Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, as well as Shaikh Mohammad Bin Kayed Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Ras Al Khaimah Department of Economic Development, and Ali Majid Al Mansouri, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Department of Economic Development.
Ahmad Obaid Al Tunaiji, Deputy Director General, Ras Al Khaimah Department of Economic Development, said: “The EPF session this year will discuss methods to boost innovation and ways to support national industries, in addition to strengthening economic ties among the emirates. The forum will also focus on the critical role of investments in facilitating knowledge and technology transfer.”
On day one, the first session following the inauguration, will discuss innovation and its key role in diversifying the economy. Further, three sub-sessions will highlight the need to put in place innovation-enabling environments, the role of innovation in sustainable development and the importance of scientific research in supporting innovation.
The second session will discuss case studies from within the UAE focused on innovation. Spotlighting examples of innovative government and business practice from within the emirates of Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah, the session will also focus on local and international experiences in the use of alternative energy.
The third session, on day two, will turn the spotlight on the host emirate and offer insights on the economy of Ras Al Khaimah across four sub-sessions. The sub-sessions will highlight the diversity of investments in free zones and specialised zones, pharmaceutical industries, the building materials industry and the tourism sector.
The second edition of the EPF will close with a focus on the role of investment in achieving knowledge and technology transfer and the measures implemented by the government to encourage innovation across sectors. The final session will offer additional insights on the role of legislations in securing investments, examine FDI as a contributor to knowledge and technology transfer, and underline the need for planning to attract targeted quality industries, and industrial clusters.
The first cycle of EPF was held in Fujairah in 2014, and focused on leading planning experiences, role of SMEs in economic development and the UAE’s plans and strategies for the development of the industrial sector.
