Dubai: Economic opportunities in a society are created through a combination of education, health and social services, encouragement of innovation and tax and regulatory regimes that foster growth rather than frustrating it, said Princess Haya Bint Al Hussain, wife of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, at the 12th Dubai International Humanitarian aid and Development Conference and Exhibition (DIHAD) that began today.
The conference hosts a number of humanitarian leaders who share their experiences and expertise in reducing poverty and suffering around the world.
Princess Haya, UN Messenger of Peace and Chairperson of International Humanitarian city, highlighted that the UAE has created opportunities for individuals and corporations which has led to its success. “People forget that the UAE was built by its leaders from nothing. Shaikh Rashid and Shaikh Zayed worked hard to build a better future for their people,” she said.
“So much can be achieved with a leadership motivated to serve its people,” she said.
Prince Hassan Bin Talal of Jordan spoke about the importance of creating a regional bank and asked why other regions around the world have banks for reconstruction and development while the Arab region did not.
He spoke of how a German once asked him why the Arab region needed a regional bank. He said his reply was, ‘I’m talking about social cohesion. Are you prepared to pay the social cohesion bill of Greece and Spain, let alone the Arab world? The reality is that the sovereign wealth fund managers have to develop a conscience in terms of human security of this region’.
He explained that the correlation is not between development and sustainability in material terms, but rather a correlation between human dignities.
“It is people who are the vectors of ideas, good or bad,” said Prince Hassan.
Following Prince Hassan’s speech, Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of Development and International Cooperation, said that people should approach the conference with an open mind and a sense of creativity to come up with innovative and collaborative ideas in tackling today’s humanitarian situations.
The DIHAD Conference and Exhibition runs until March 26.
Maria Botros is a trainee at Gulf News.
