Dubai will host the world's biggest gathering of entrepreneurs and business leaders in May at the first International Entrepreneurship Forum & Exhibition (IEFE) - Entrepreneurs in Dubai. An unrivaled lineup of global businessmen and women will address IEFE. The conference is being held under the patronage of Sheik Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, chairman of the board of Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders, and organized in co-operation with IIR Middle East and Young Arab Leaders (YAL), an organization aimed at transforming the Arab World and aiding its effective integration into the global economy by building its young leadership base. Find more at: www.entrepreneursindubai.com

Yesterday, the Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for Young Business Leaders announced the launch of an internship program for young national women. Undergraduates from Dubai Women's College will get hands-on training at small and medium-sized enterprises. Khaleej Times Sunday, January 09, 2005

• The future of Iraq
• New directions in the Israeli-Palestinian dispute
• Does Iran have a nuclear future?
• Implications of the new US administration
• Inter-Arab relations
• The Middle East and the new EU

The private sector is the driver of regional economic development and has a particularly important role to play. Topics of discussion will include:

• Developing human capacity
• Putting capital to work
• Promoting good governance
• Taking the next steps for trade liberalization
• Building infrastructure for growth
• Investing for the future and the new oil boom
• Charting a comprehensive reform agenda

For more information on the Summit please contact: jordanmeeting@weforum.org. To link to this page, please use http://www.weforum.org/jordan.

The inaugural Leaders in Dubai 2004: The International Leadership Summit was the biggest business event in Dubai since the IMF and World Bank Summits in September 2003. It is now being followed up by Leaders in Dubai 2005, which boasts another fantastic lineup of speakers, with more leaders sharing their leadership lessons. The speakers at Leaders in Dubai 2005 offer you the 'best in class' learning, as diverse as the Speakers themselves: different nationalities, achievements from different spheres of life, men and women. For more information go to: http://www.leadersindubai.com/.

Women have been successful in their professional careers in both government and private sectors of the region, but more is to be done and there is a long way to go. Datamatix annually organizes the Woibex Women in Business Conference on March 8th, the international women's day. Delegates will hear from influential women involved in business and government in the Middle East and have the chance to attend seminars on subjects such as leadership, management, technology, and business. The Women in Business Conference provides the opportunity to share and learn from the experiences of others and pick up new skills. It is also crucial in building confidence and creating new networks. For more information visit: http://www.woibex.com.

Major themes and issues taken up for discussion include liberalization and privatization, Llberalization as a source of income for government, setting up of a regulatory authority, regulatory risks and potential effects on future revenue streams, innovated and value added services, pricing, investment opportunities for both foreign and domestic investors, telecom business opportunities, case studies, and analysis of telecom from different parts of the world. For more information visit:
http://www.datamatix-dubai.com.