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Yes I was a participant and panelist at the World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Economic Growth and Job Creation in the Arab World, in Deadsea - Jordan. And here I will share some of the thoughts that have been storming my brain in the last couple of days.
I will not go for logistics and level of organization as this might not be the core, especially at this stage, so I'll try to be to the point. The Main Plenary Hall had a lot of cliches and talks that we have been hearing for the past years yet a bit customized to the new Arab Spring's terminologies, at a time that everyone is seeking actions.
On the other hand, there were a couple of really interesting statements, for me, that have been in the air at the opening session. His Majesty King Abdullah II: "Steve Jobs proved that those who think different can change the world, and there are a lot of such minds in the Arab World", as a sort of open invitation for the world to appreciate and invest more in the region. The new Prime Minister in Jordan, former judge at International Court of Justice, Mr. Khasawnah went humble: "Maybe I should not be here today at the world economic forum as I'm just a citizen now who's trying to form a government". And another witty yet realistic statement by the Libya's acting prime minister, Mahmoud Jibril: "Rebuilding Libya now is -mission impossible- of Tom Cruise"! On the other hand, Klaus Schwab might have summed it up all in one of the last statements at the closing session: "Now I feel hope and optimism in the region more than ever, we now know this region is on the right path, but it might take time, yet the most important part it's on the right path".
The more practical sessions were in the secondary and smaller halls, where talks were more practical, and to the point. But the main question remains unanswered, what are the plans, investments and outcomes agreed on and when are they going to go on ground? Milestones, action points, and awareness of what happens in the backyard of the forum are parts to investigate.
 Youth participation has been higher, and it's a score for the forum at this stage where youth have been playing major roles reshaping the world, so I guess it's a plus for the forum which usually targets decision makers, business and government leaders, other than youth.
For the alternative narrative post from voices from Jordan; well, I actually agree on certain points. Such forums are really taking time to execute the initiatives discussed, but as we ask to be practical and realistic we should be too. Education is one of the core issues to be reformed in Jordan, but I don't think that it's really in "sharp decline", as if so then Jordanians and Jordan wouldn't be as known today, IT and entrepreneurship hub of the middle east. Also, there are a lot of initiatives now to improve education in Jordan, yet they are not really enough, we need to make the high quality education in Jordan available for all as currently it might be available for Ammanies only. And for the tourism part, I agree Jordan is missing a lot on this sector, and putting it behind tho it should be one of the main resources in here. For the travel restrictions, I don't think it's a wide spread issue, and it's not for the WEF to solve but for the League of Arab States, if it's still a recognized entity.
The blame goes to all, including us youth, so it's not the time to point fingers, nor the time to contentiously nag and complain. It's time to work together, accept others and execute our practical solutions.
At the closing session I was wondering why to set high expectations for forums, what do we exactly expect from such forums, and why to attack if we're calling for democracy, aren't we the ones asking all to accept different approaches and personal choices?!
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WEF Deadsea, Jordan 2011 
