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Under the directive of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, and under the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation (MBRF), the first Knowledge Conference will be held from December 7 to 9 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Dubai. The event will also see the launch of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Award, which will honor a global figure who has contributed to the dissemination of knowledge

Organized by the MBRF, the leader in the dissemination of knowledge and supporter of development efforts in the world, this is the first conference of its kind in the region focused on the transfer and localization of knowledge, aiming to build a society and economy that applies knowledge to create sustainable development and prosperity for peoples.

The conference was announced during a press conference held at MBRF headquarters and attended by H.E. Jamal Bin Huwaireb, Managing Director of MBRF, and Dr. Ghaith Hamdi Fariz, Director and Coordinator of the Arab Knowledge Report in the United Nations Development Programme, a joint initiative of the MBRF and the United Nations Development Programme.

Expressing happiness on the organizing of the first Knowledge Conference in the region, His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum said: The coming together of knowledge influencers, experts and stakeholders under one roof at an international annual gathering will give a new momentum to the knowledge movement in the region. The exchange of experiences and the introduction of best practices as well as recommendations and innovative solutions will serve as a road map to the development of scientific and technological research. Today knowledge has become the backbone of economic development and the main pillar of sustainable social progress and a cornerstone of prosperity for the people. This has necessitated an urgent need for an annual event that unites the efforts of knowledge transfer to ensure a brighter future for the coming generations.

During the press conference, H.E. Jamal Bin Huwaireb said the first Knowledge Conference serves as the ideal global platform to discuss ways to consolidate the culture of building knowledge based sustainable societies and economies, adding that the hosting of the conference in Dubai reflects the Emirates leading position in the field of dissemination of knowledge locally and globally. H.E. Bin Huwaireb further stated that the event will be the most important international gathering in knowledge dissemination which will be held every year.

As an entity that is focused on enhancing the role of knowledge in the development and prosperity of the Arab societies, MBRF has realized the urgent need for an annual international gathering to highlight the knowledge status in the Arab world. It has become a priority to explore ways to spread knowledge, put forward innovative solutions and find the best ways to employ the knowledge of sustainable human development in Arab societies, H.E. Bin Huwaireb added.

Today, knowledge is critical to renaissance and growth, as knowledge draws the lines between wealth and poverty, ability and disability, and achievements and failures. A state that is able to produce and spread knowledge has the potential to elevate its development, assist its nationals to grow and prosper and occupy the position that it deserves in the contemporary world, H.E. Bin Huwaireb concluded.

During the press conference, MBRF also announced the launch of The Arab Knowledge Report 2014, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Knowledge and Arab Knowledge Index as integral activities that will be held within the first Knowledge Conference.

Dr. Ghaith Hamdi Fariz commended the UAE initiatives in building a knowledge society and stressed that the objectives of the Knowledge Conference were in line with international efforts of the United Nations Development Programme to develop the components of knowledge transfer and entrench access to knowledge at the local, regional and international levels.

On the launch of the Arab Knowledge Report 2014: Youth and Localization of Knowledge, Dr. Fariz, said: The third Arab Knowledge Report confirms the perseverance of MBRF and the Arab Bureau in the United Nations Development Programme to provide sustained support to knowledge based development of communities.

Dr. Fariz also observed that this years Arab Knowledge Report deals with Arab youth, who are one of the key players in the knowledge transfer process in the region. He added: There is no doubt that the Arab Knowledge Report for this year, the third in its series, will gain considerable traction due to the fact that it will be launched as part of the activities of the first Knowledge Conference. We see the report as another step by Dubai in its human development efforts and the building of knowledge based economy and society in the Arab region and the world as a whole.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Award

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Award will honor a global figure for his or her contributions in the dissemination of knowledge. The award aims to raise awareness about the importance of the dissemination and transfer of knowledge as a means for sustainable development and prosperity of the peoples, as well as to encourage further initiatives and programs that contribute to dissemination, transfer and localization of knowledge around the world.

Arab Knowledge Report 2014: Youth and Localization of Knowledge
The Arab Knowledge Report is a joint initiative between the Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation and the Arab Bureau in the United Nations Development Programme, and articulates a shared vision of the two organizations to shape a knowledge economy in the Arab world. The third report will address important topics and shed light on the status of knowledge in the Arab world, such as youth understanding in localization of knowledge transfer processes, the challenges of localization and transfer of knowledge in the Arab region. It will look at the status of Arab youth and the enabling elements to involve them actively in the localization of knowledge transfer. The report will cover the required enabling environments to integrate youth as key players in the localization of knowledge transfer processes, and strategies for activating the participation of youth in deploying knowledge in sustainable human development.

The Knowledge Report for this year will include a general report addressing the youth and knowledge issues from the Arab regional perspective, and another report addressing the same cases from United Arab Emirates perspective. It deals with the challenges and strategies for effective integration of youth in the UAE and the localization of knowledge transfer at the national level.

Arab Knowledge Index
The Arab Knowledge Index is an indicator that will monitor the status of knowledge in the Arab world on an annual basis. Taking into consideration the specific situation of the Arab region, the index will include a number of sub-indices in the economic, social and knowledge levels that indicate the progress towards knowledge based societies and economies. These can include the number and effectiveness of colleges and universities, scientific research centers, the budgets allocated by governments for the development of scientific research, the number of patents registered annually, the extent of private sector involvement in supporting and funding scientific research centers, the evolution of the telecommunications infrastructure as a major tool of dissemination of knowledge, the number of books and translations issued annually, paper or electronic documentation efforts, and content development efforts in the mother tongue. Special classifications will be granted for the evolution of knowledge in every Arab country.
The index will reflect a practical tool to measure knowledge in the Arab world and will provide accurate and practical information about the status of knowledge in the Arab communities to decision-makers, experts and researchers, to offer guidance in the formulation of development plans and policies.

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