February 1, 2006 – Albert Beckford Jones speaks at Jeddah Economic Forum
Saudi Arabia– Albert Beckford Jones, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Trading & Consulting International, Inc. (GoInternationally.com) was invited by the Jeddah Economic Forum to present a speech and presentation at the 7th Jeddah Economic Forum, February 2006. The Jeddah Economic Forum was established in the year 2000 with the objective of addressing current economic issues and international affairs. The Jeddah Economic Forum has become firmly established as the leading and most influential economic gathering in the Middle East of world leaders, government officials, prominent businessmen, financiers, economic strategists, academics and other influential figures from around the world.
The theme of the conference: Seeding Potentials for Economic Growth: Honoring Identity and Celebrating Common Grounds. The academic partner was Stanford University. The conference called for the honor and recognition of culture, identity, and diversity as the building blocks for a world of “common grounds” rather than a global economy of “one size fits all.” The conference further sought to underscore stories of success and actionable solutions both within and outside the context of Saudi Arabia. Whether local, regional, or global, the conference highlighted and celebrated inspirational achievements in the human quest for inclusion and participation in the building of one world: our world, our tomorrow. Mr. Jones, who has built a successful international business development and management consulting practice, points out that the conference will addresses: “Honoring identity means honoring diversity as well. Identity and diversity are two sides of one coin. Identity is indeed an all-encompassing word allowing for many voices in culture, not only in race, gender, and age, but also in thought, perspective, and orientation.”
Other speakers during this conference included the Chairman of Siemens AG Supervisory Board, Counselor to His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco, Vice Chairman of Chevron, President of Gambia, Former US Vice President (Al Gore), President of Ireland, Foreign Affairs Columnist for the New York Times, Executive Director of the United Nations Fund, Former Prime Minister of Jordan, President of Congo, the Executive Manager of the Kingdom Holding Company, Malaysia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Managing Director of Credit Suisse, Steve Forbes, President of Japan’s Sumitomo Chemical Company.
Previous presenters and speakers have included: former USA President George W. Bush Sr., former Prime Minister of the UK John Major and leading Saudi, American and international businessmen and women. Also honoring the occasion were His Highness Prince Abdullah Bin Faisal Bin Turki, Governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), and distinguished keynote speakers have included Dr. Helmut Kohl, former Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, and H.E. Valery Giscard D’Estaing, former President of France and former US President William Jefferson Clinton has returned twice. Other leading dignitaries were the Crown Prince of Bahrain Sheikh Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, His Royal Highness Prince Al Waleed Bin Talal. Ladies speaking at the ‘Women in Business’ sessions included the Rt. Hon. Christine McCafferty, a member of the UK Parliament who also serves on the Council of Europe; the Rt. Hon. Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean, UK Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs; Sheikha Lubna Al -Qasimi, CEO of Tejari.com, the Middle East’s premier electronic business-to-business marketplace; HM Queen Rania of Jordan; HRH Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden; HE Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Prime Minister of Turkey; HE Mr. Rafik Hariri, Prime Minister of Lebanon; HE Mr. Mahathir Mohammed, former Prime Minister of Malaysia; HE Dr. Supahi Panitchpakdi, Director General WTO; and Lubna Olayan, CEO of Olayan Financing Company.
The conference academic partners have included: the Centre of Business and Government and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University; the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan School of Management, and London School of Economics.
Mr. Jones holds the following industry licenses: 7 (General Securities), 66 (Uniform Securities Agent State l aw and Investment Adviser), and General Insurance license (Accident Health, Life and Variable contracts). He earned two master’s degrees. The first from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in International Finance and Economic Development, and a second Master degree from the University of Chicago in Policy Analysis and Management; he was a Alfred P. Sloan Fellow at Harvard University and the University of Chicago and member of the Public Policy International Affairs (PPIA) Fellows in Washington. Albert serves on several boards and institutions throughout the international and local community including the National Council of International Programs USA Board of Trustees, Chicago Council of International Programs Board of Directors, China Advisory Board, Chicago Committee; he is a former Trustee of Cleveland Council on World Affairs, Lake Erie College, Cleveland State University Foundation, Hampshire College, and Cleveland Music School Settlement.
More information about the Jeddah Economic Forum can be found at http://www.jef.org.sa/