UAE Prime Minister

Sheikh Mohammed’s Speech at the launch of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation May 19, 2007

His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan, Professor Claus Schwab, ladies and gentlemen, I am glad to be here at the Dead Sea Forum with you for the second time. I benefited from participating in the Forum in 2004 and I have been watching Jordan's development and progress since then.

Three years ago I said - and I reiterate today - that comprehensive development is the biggest challenge that our region and people face and that unless we move towards comprehensive development, any success we achieve in any sector will only be temporary.

In the past, the countries of the region pursued development with priorities that differed according to each country's economic, educational, political and administrative sectors. They achieved progress in some sectors and less progress in others.

Most countries in the region achieved high rates of economic growth; this is a good and important achievement but it is not enough because most of the factors that contribute to sustainable development have remained unchanged, have deteriorated or have grown very modestly. Perhaps this is an example of the instability of growth that is not matched with more social and political openness and less violence, fanaticism and extremism. In addition, the revenue from this development did not reach everyone, which resulted in the emergence of a minority with greater resources and a majority struggling to achieve a decent standard of living.

Ladies and gentlemen, history teaches us that the rise of civilisations and the prosperity of nations are associated with modernisation, development and change based on economic, political, educational, administrative and intellectual reforms. This cannot be accomplished without an infrastructure that promotes creativity and innovative problem-solving. This has been evidenced in the Arabic and Islamic civilisation and several other well-known civilisations since the dawn of history.

In the fifteenth century, there was a large gap between the European and Arab cultures and the Arabs had the advantage in terms of international trade. At the close of the century, the Europeans invented a ship that could cross the oceans and this marked the start of Europe's dominance of world trade.

Although the Arabs played a role in international trading until the eighteenth century, their role diminished rapidly because their leaders, scholars and tradesmen did not realise that the European's commercial growth was associated with intellectual and educational progress; scientific, administrative and organisational innovations and political and legislative reform inspired by Arab culture, the work of Ibn Rushd, the philosophy of Al Farabi and Ibn Sina and the medical text entitled The Law which was taught in European universities for six centuries. The Europeans also benefited from Muslim scholars like Al Zahrawi, Khawarismi, Al Razi and Ibn Hayyan and other Arab scholars and researchers who freely gave the seeds for civilisation to Western civilisation.

The past provides us with lessons for the future. It's crucial that we apply these lessons in a way that makes the best of the present and that fits the demands of our era; the past has passed with its good and bad, its advantages and disadvantages, its successes and failures; we cannot do anything except learn from it. On the other hand, we can - confidently and competently - shape and manage our future. The future is in our hands and we have to shape it by working with our era, its culture and its achievements. It is up to us whether we make progress or we stagnate by waiting and talking about our past glories and blaming others for our problems.

There is a wide gap in knowledge between us and the developed countries in the West and in Asia. Our only option is to bridge this gap as quickly as possible because knowledge is the defining factor of our time and knowledge decides whether countries are strong or weak, whether they progress or fall behind, whether they are active or inactive, whether they are rich or poor, whether they seize opportunities or miss them.

We have to prove others wrong when they say that Arabs waste opportunities; we have to seize opportunities and translate them into major achievements.

The region faces a challenge greater than just a lack of knowledge, it faces the lack of an environment that promotes the acquisition and passing on of knowledge; rampant illiteracy limits the region's growth and advancement. Most alarmingly, in the region 18% of people under the age of fifteen and 43% of the females are illiterate.

If we are to create a knowledge-based society, we must boost knowledge creation in the Arab world. According to human development reports, only 0.08% of all the literary and intellectual books published worldwide are published in the Arab world, and this is fewer than in Turkey. For every 100,000 books published in North America, 42,000 are published in South America and only 6,500 are published in the Arab world.

According to the same reports, 100,000 books have been translated in the Arab world since the era of Al Ma'moun and the House of Wisdom, from the eighth century to 2002. However, according to a conference held in Jordan last month, 10,000 books have been translated, which is the number that Spain translates every year.

The Arab world spends only 0.02% of its GDP on scientific research, while the developed countries spend between 2.5% and 5%.

In the Arab world, for every 10,000 people in the workforce there are 3.3 academic scholars, while the developed world has 110 for every 10,000.

Unemployment in the region is 14% and the Arab world needs 15 million jobs right now; there'll be a need for between 74 million and 85 million new jobs in the next 20 years.

If these jobs are to be created, we must improve the business environment in the Arab world. On average, Arab countries ranked 107 out of 170 in terms of the amount of red tape involved in setting up a business. This cannot continue - we cannot just look at the international development indicators every year and feel sorry for the state of the region and how it ranks internationally - but there are challenges to overcome.

We are remiss if we know the causes and dangers of decline but we do nothing. We have to work quickly and sincerely, with dedication and courage, to put an end to the backwardness of the region. I call on governments, businessmen, intellectuals, university professors, community organisations, the wealthy and the religious scholars, about whom Prophet Mohammed (may the peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: "They are the heirs of prophets", to take responsibility and to teach our children how tolerant and great Islam is, how Islam encourages intellectual debate and to assume their roles in creating a knowledge society in the region so that the Arab world can rise to the various challenges it faces.

My brother His Majesty, brothers and sisters, it gives me great pleasure today to announce an initiative intended to create a knowledge-based society throughout the region by offering support to young people, developing scientific research and education, investing in knowledge infrastructure and providing the region's young people with equal opportunities to make progress and to enjoy a decent standard of living.

To achieve these objectives, I have decided to establish the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation with an endowment of $10 billion. The Foundation will design and manage programs to build a knowledge base to international standards. One of the Foundation's key priorities is to create a fund to promote research and translation. The Foundation will offer young people leadership programs in the government, the private sector and non-governmental organisations and will offer scholarships to leading universities and institutes starting next year.

The Foundation will also support research in universities across the region and give scholarships and research grants to authors and researchers in the region. The Foundation will introduce and manage a wide range of initiatives including high-quality research programs and research centres.

The Foundation's programs are also aimed at enhancing the standing of scholars and intellectuals in the Arab world by supporting them, opening publishing houses, offering awards and publicising their efforts; the Foundation will also encourage efforts to find solutions to challenges to social and economic development by encouraging innovation and creativity, building small and medium-sized enterprises and providing a platform for decision-makers in all sectors to interact and exchange dialogue and expertise to expedite wise governance and to encourage government-private sector partnerships in order to create significant new employment opportunities.

Ladies and gentlemen, vibrant nations do not give up or avoid challenges. We are a vibrant nation - we didn't give up in the past and we will not do so in the future - one cannot live in despair; Arabs deserve progress and Arabs can make progress.

I am aware that the Arab world is frustrated by political and economic failures. I also realise the extent to which our region is a target, but this should motivate us to work harder, to be innovative and to insist upon successful development and organised priorities. We should rid ourselves of frustration and despair and arm ourselves with optimism and hope.

Our Arab world is rich in potential and opportunities, not just problems and defeats; our heritage is rich in the seeds for greater productivity, innovation and creativity. We have the vision and the will to set the stage for future generations with this Foundation, which will provide all that our region needs to make progress.

We can provide our young people with happiness and hope and encourage them to explore the unknown; we can invest in young people and make them either a burden or an asset to themselves, their society and their people. This is the responsibility of governments and societies: to empower people to help themselves and to encourage them to be productive and innovative.

The Arab world is no longer a place for daydreams, false hope and empty rhetoric that stirs up emotions and clouds minds and hearts. Arabs might be swayed by words and eloquence, but they judge results and they want tangible benefits for their countries, people and families.

It is no longer possible for the region to remain an area where experiments are conducted, a breeding ground for adventurers or a place where readymade imported models are forcibly imposed. Readymade imported models have led to chaos, confusion and weakness, whether they were imported with good intentions or imposed on the region with pressure or military force. These models have also prevented the growth of the positive, hindered reforms, precluded the natural growth of intellect, societies, politics and economies and ultimately failed.

We have to create our own model; one which draws on our reality, culture and virtues; a model that is consistent with the standards of our age, easy-to-understand and that builds on our achievements and helps to shape the future of the world.

As we move forward, there is no room for red (finishing) lines because we see only the blue of the sky and the sea. Blue is the colour of ambition; we like it and it likes us.

Brothers and sisters, your brothers in the UAE are working to the highest international standards in education, healthcare, social services, government performance, partnerships with the private sector, creativity, innovation and excellence.

As you know, the UAE's accomplishments are achievements for all Arabs and we put our expertise at the disposal of our brothers in the region. The UAE will not be satisfied until progress is achieved throughout the region. The Foundation's goal is to contribute to the growth we hope to achieve.

I thank you and wish you success. May the peace and blessings of Allah be upon you.