The first Rolex Middle East Forum is scheduled to be held in Dubai on November 19.

The Rolex Middle East Forum - “Encouraging Innovation for the Next Generation” - is a high-level public event developed by the Rolex Awards for Enterprise in association with the Higher Colleges of Technology.

The day-long forum, comprises three panel sessions focused on subjects of importance to the region: the state of science and innovation in the Mena region, the preservation of cultural heritage and the natural environment, and the role of women as forces for social change.

The Rolex Middle East Forum will feature nine international experts from diverse disciplines and nine of their counterparts from across the UAE and the region, and moderators Hala Gorani, of CNN International, and celebrated media personality Georges Kordahi of MBC.

World-renowned heart surgeon Sir Magdi Yacoub, pioneering NASA astronaut Dr Kathryn Sullivan, and former Ecuadorian environment minister Yolanda Kakabadse are among the distinguished panelists confirmed.

“Rolex is convening this special high-level forum in the UAE because we believe in the region’s potential for innovation and enterprise, and respect its commitment to improving life on our planet. Through the forum, we hope to offer a platform for the exchange of ideas and experiences, valuable dialogue and relationship-building,' said Rebecca Irvin, director of the Rolex Awards for Enterprise, based in Geneva, Switzerland.

“The UAE is an outstanding example of the steady socio-political progress being made in the Gulf countries, progress that we feel the rest of the world should know more about,” she added.

“We are particularly confident in the abilities of this region’s young men and women, and hope to contribute to broadening their horizons in this way. Our growing relationship with the UAE Higher Colleges of Technology is a vital step in achieving these goals.”-TradeArabia News Service