18.00 – 19.00

Registration Opens
Jumeirah Essex House, Petit Salon

20.00 - 22.00

Cocktail Reception
Jumeirah Essex House, Petit Salon

08.00 - 09.00

Registration & Breakfast
Jumeirah Essex House, Petit Salon

09.00 - 09.15

Opening Remarks “Half the Audience”
Mr. Shehab Gargash
Chairman of the Global Action Forum: Arab and American Dialogue and Managing Director of Daman Investments, UAE
Jumeirah Essex House, Grand Salon

09.15 - 09.30

Special Address “The Power of Dialogue”
H.E. Dr. Omar Bin Sulaiman
Chairman of the Board of Young Arab Leaders and Governor of the Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), UAE
Jumeirah Essex House, Grand Salon

09.30 - 09.45

Key Remarks
Mr. James Gorman
Co-President, Morgan Stanley, USA
Jumeirah Essex House, Grand Salon

09.45 - 10.00

Key Remarks
Mr. Mike Gambrell
Executive Vice President, The Dow Chemical Company, USA
Jumeirah Essex House, Petit Salon

10.00 - 10.30

Networking Break
Jumeirah Essex House, Petit Salon

10.30 - 10.45

Success Story by
Mrs. Azza Fahmy**
Founder & Chief Designer
of the Azza Fahmy Jewelry Brand, Egypt
Jumeirah Essex House, Grand Salon

10.45 - 12:15

Enabling Entrepreneurs for the Future:
“Cultivating and Growing Innovation in the Arab World “Jumeirah Essex House, Grand Salon

The session will address three core pillars:
An examination of policy reform issues in relation to the culture of entrepreneurship in the region and the design of concrete activities to promote policy dialogue, training and awareness building for the promotion of innovation and entrepreneurship in the region.
Creation of direct networks to stimulate targeted partnerships between regional entrepreneurs and businesses where innovation is a driving factor.
Technology Transfer to spread the "wealth" of applied knowledge, expertise and awareness beyond the normal channels of privilege through tailor-made training and educational activities across the region.

Panelists:
Mr. Hakam Kanafani
Member of Young Arab Leaders and Chief Business Development Officer in charge of Mergers and Acquisitions, Oger Telecom, Turkey

Ms. Cindy Ko
Vice President for International Expansion, Endeavor, USA

Ms. Faten Hani
Member of Young Arab Leaders and CEO of Education Centre of Excellence, Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), UAE

Ms. Sunita Singh Maclaren
CEO World Wise - Global Markets, Local Expertise, USA

Mr. Shezad Rokerya
Chairman Interlink Equity Capital Los Angeles, California, USA

Moderated by:
Mr. Rohit K. Shukla
CEO, Larta Institute, USA

12.15 - 12.30

Speech by:
Rabbi Gary Greenebaum
Member of the American Jewish Committee (AJC), USA
Jumeirah Essex House, Grand Salon

12.30 - 14.00

Networking Lunch
Jumeirah Essex House, Petit Salon

14.00 - 14.15

Key Remarks
Mr. Keith Reinhard
President of Business for Diplomatic Action (BDA) and
Chairman Emeritus, DDB Worldwide, USA
Jumeirah Essex House, Grand Salon

14:15 - 15.45

Global Action Institute: Arab and American Dialogue
Jumeirah Essex House, Grand Salon

This session aims to build knowledge and recommendation on strategically-critical issues related to the vision and mission of the Global Action Institute (GAI), New York.

GAI an initiative by Young Arab Leaders aims to be a driving force that builds a global community of leadership in advancing knowledge and cooperation between the Arab world and the United States.

In addition to its annual forum in New York, GAI will lead issue-specific and action-based projects: (1) to support a generation of young leaders who share strong connections between the Arab world and the United States, (2) encourage and celebrate entrepreneurial ideas and creativity in the Arab world, and (3) make innovative education and training opportunities widely available to young Arabs and Americans with an interest in the Arab world.

Panelists:
Mr. Rami Makhzoumi
Member of Young Arab Leaders &
CEO Future Pipe Industries, UAE

Mr. James Zogby
Founder and president of the Arab American Institute (AAI), USA

Mr. John Dearborn
President,
Dow - India, Middle East and Africa Region

Ms. Anna Eleanor Roosevelt
Vice President,Global Corporate Citizenship,
Boeing Company, USA

Moderated by:
Dr. Ant Bozkaya, Ph.D.
Research Fellow; Project Leader for the Design of the Feasibility Study of the Global Action Institute, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA

15.45 – 16.00

Networking Break
Jumeirah Essex House, Petit Salon

16.00 – 16.30

Speech by:
Ms. Abby Joseph Cohen
President of the Global Markets Institute,
Goldman Sachs, USA
Jumeirah Essex House, Grand Salon

20.00 - 22.00

Dinner & Movie – 'Caramel' by Nadine Labaki
Caramel, the first feature film by Lebanese director/actress Nadine Labaki, is a 2007 Lebanese film. The film premiered on May 20 at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, in the Directors' Fortnight section. Caramel was distributed in over 40 countries, easily becoming the most internationally acclaimed and exposed Lebanese film to date. Labaki's film is unique for not showcasing a war-ravaged Beirut but rather a warm and inviting exotic locale where people deal with universal issues.
Tribeca Theatre

09.00 - 09.45

Breakfast
Jumeirah Essex House, Petit Salon

9.45 - 10.30

Building Bridges for the Future
Showcasing of the Arab American Business Fellowship Presentations & Experiences by Fellows.
Jumeirah Essex House, Grand Salon

The Arab and American Business Fellowship Program is a partnership between the Young Arab Leaders (YAL), Business for Diplomatic Action (BDA), and the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy (USCCD) designed to foster mutual understanding and respect between Arab and American societies.

Speakers:
Mr. Thomas Miller
Vice President Business for Diplomatic Action, USA

Ms. Ann Olsen Schodde
President ITEBS & Associates, LLC & Executive Director, U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy, USA

Mr. Charles R. Montgomery
Treasurer, Board of Directors, U.S Center for Citizen Diplomacy, Senior Managing Attorney, MidAmerican Energy Company, USA

Mr. Robert Knezevic
Regional Director, Sesame Workshop, Middle East & North Africa

10.30- 12.00

Special Session: Through the Media’s Eyes – Promoting Mutual Respect for Cultures
Jumeirah Essex House, Grand Salon

The media has grown to unprecedented levels in both the United States and the Arab world.
A significant amount of broadcasting in the Arab world originates from within the US. Yet a paradox exists: Arab youth who express negative sentiments towards the US and who consume and enjoy television programs, movies and computer-based games from America.

We know that media—in all forms—is powerful and influences our thinking in both positive and negative ways. It can foster or destroy an appreciation and respect for cultures and cultural differences. Recognizing that media is such a fundamentally significant tool in bridging the cultural divide, this session will debate and explore various action-oriented initiatives to expose youth to critical issues in the media (such as stereotyping and sensationalism) and encourage them to take a more empathic approach when considering their counterparts in other countries.

Panelists:
Ms. Najla Al-Awadhi
Member of the UAE Parliament (the Federal National Council) & Director General of One TV, UAE

Mr. Richard Levick
Chairman,
Levick Strategic Communications, USA

Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa
CEO & Founder,
Teshkeel Media Group, Kuwait

Dr. Hala Sarhan
Pan Arab Satellite TV expert

Mr. Roy Guttman
Journalist, Foreign Affairs, USA

Moderated by:
Mr. Hafez Al-Mirazi
Arab American TV Host

12.00 - 12.15

Networking Break
Jumeirah Essex House, Petit Salon

12.15 - 13.00

"The Landscape and What's at Stake: The 2008 Elections and the American-Arab Relationship"
Jumeirah Essex House, Grand Salon

Noted pollster John Zogby, President of Zogby International, will discuss the American landscape leading up to the 2008 Presidential election, with a focus on how Americans understand the contest and their nation's role in the world. Dr. James Zogby, President of the Arab American Institute, will present an analysis of the current policy debate between the two parties, and how each of the major candidates understands America's relationship with the Arab world, and how the outcome of this contest will determine the likely course of policy in this regard over the next few years.

Speakers:
Dr. James Zogby
President of the Arab American Institute (AAI), USA

Mr. John Zogby
President of Zogby International, USA

13.00 - 13.15

Closing Remarks
Mr. Shehab Gargash
Chairman of the Global Action Forum: Arab and American Dialogue and Managing Director of Daman Investments, UAE
Jumeirah Essex House, Grand Salon

13.15 - 14.00

Lunch (Optional)
Jumeirah Essex House, Petit Salon