Global trends on the agenda at ‘Outlook on 2015’ WEF session

A session at the World Economic Forum’s three-day global problem-solving summit this week in Dubai brought together a panel of global experts to discuss the regional challenges ahead in 2015.

Experts speaking at the Outlook on 2015: Global Trends session on Monday sought to provide perspectives from WEF’s Global Knowledge Networks on the major trends and emerging issues that will shape the world in the coming 12-18 months.

The panelists included Rola A. Dashti, Kuwaiti government minister, Majid Jafar, CEO of Crescent Petroleum, Kevin Rudd, former Australian PM, Adam Posen, President of the Peterson Institute for International Economic and Amina Mohammed, Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning at the United Nations.

Rudd spoke about the challenges facing the current global order, including what he said was global growth deficit.

U.S. economist Adam Posen at WEF said Middle East economies face the challenge of integration with the global economy.

Others addressed the problem o unemployment, education and poverty. Amina Mohammed, Special Adviser on Post-2015 Development Planning, said the world is missing quality education.

Rola A. Dashti, Kuwaiti government minister, agreed and saying regional countries are experiencing a culture of credentials, not of knowledge.

Majid Jafar, Vice-chairman of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Youth Unemployment and CEO of Crescent Petroleum, said: “on the one hand the government asked the private sector to create jobs, but if the governments are rising salaries or hiring more, the two are actually at odds.”

He said there needs to be a collective action between the governments and the private sector.

The session was part of a summit which is taking place from Sunday to Tuesday, bringing together prominent current and former governmental figures from countries around the world to discuss around 80 global issues of concern, according to a press release.

The Outlook on 2015: Global Trends session will be streamed live on this page on November 10 at 17:00 GST.