2001

The second Jeddah Economic Forum, now managed by the newly-formed Jeddah Marketing Board, under the Chairmanship of Amr Dabbagh, was extended to three days from January 20-22. Held again in the luxurious Leylaty Ballrooms, the theme was ‘Wealth Creation in a Knowledge-Based Economy' and the chosen academic partner was the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management. As at JEF 2000, the opening ceremony was graced by the presence of HRH Prince Abdul Majeed Bin Abdul Aziz, Governor of Makkah Region. Also honouring the occasion were HH Prince Abdullah Bin Faisal Bin Turki, .Governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), and the distinguished keynote speakers Dr. Helmut Kohl, former Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, and H.E. Valery Giscard D'Estaing, former President of France.

Topics during the three days were ‘The Third Industrial Revolution', ‘E-business', and ‘Entrepreneurism' with these subjects addressed by a roster of more than 30 speakers and discussion panelists including Dr. Fawaz Al Alami, Deputy Minister of Commerce for Saudi Arabia, and Presidents and CEOs of leading companies and banks in Saudi Arabia, the USA, the UK, Europe and Japan, and academics including Lester C. Thurow, Professor at MIT; Professor Glen L. Urban. Member of MIT Sloan School of Management;.; Simon Johnson, Professor of Entrepreneurship at MIT Sloan School of Management; and John A. Quelch, Dean of London Business School.

Forum Partners for JEF 2001 were Abdul Lateef Jameel Group, Carlyle Group, Lucent Technologies, Middle East Broadcasting Centre (MBC), National Commercial Bank (NCB), Saudi American Bank, and Saudi Research and Publishing Company.