The UAE must build a new tradition in innovation and research in order to keep pace with global economic and social changes, said UAE Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research HE Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan at the opening today of the first Rolex Middle East Forum, which welcomed renowned authorities from the region and around the world to debate pressing global issues.

Sheikh Nahayan said education will be a major force in sustaining socio-economic growth in the Middle East, with new advances in research and technology enhancing the ability to deal with challenges in the region more effectively.

The Rolex Middle East Forum, a day-long debate in Dubai with contributions from expert panellists drawn from fields as diverse as clinical genetics and space discovery, was the culmination of the 2008 Rolex Awards for Enterprise.

The awards, which were staged for the first time in the Middle East this year, have for more than 30 years supported pioneering work in: science and medicine, technology and innovation, exploration and discovery, and the environment and cultural heritage.

In his opening address at today’s forum, Sheikh Nahayan said that the UAE supports creativity and values innovation, which both drive economic success and positive change. The Rolex Awards for Enterprise reflect a strong conviction that ideas will shape our future, he said.

Under the theme ‘Encouraging Innovation for the Next Generation’, the forum organised three discussion sessions: ‘The state of science and innovation in the Middle East and North Africa’; ‘Preserving the natural environment and cultural heritage’; and ‘The role of women as a force for social change’.

Open free to the public and staged in partnership with the UAE Higher Colleges of Technology at Dubai’s Madinat Theatre, the forum received more than two hundred guests, the majority Emirati college students.

Among the regional experts participating in the forum were: Dr. Lihadh Al-Gazali, Professor in Clinical Genetics and Pediatrics at UAE University; Dr. Tayeb Kamali, Vice Chancellor of the UAE Higher Colleges of Technology; Colonel Sulaiman Mohamed Albusaidi, Advisor to Oman’s Minister of Environment and Climate Affairs; and Abdul Aziz Al-Midfa, Director General of Sharjah’s Environment and Protected Areas Authority.

Also taking part were: Dr. Hasan Al-Naboodah, Chairman of the Department of History at UAE University; Dr. Fatima Al-Sayegh, Member of the Board for the Sultan bin Ali Owais Cultural Foundation; and Najla Al-Awadhi, Deputy CEO of Dubai Media Incorporated and Member of the UAE Federal National Council.

Hala Gorani, CNN anchor and presenter of ‘Inside the Middle East’, moderated the first two discussions. Middle East TV personality George Kordahi presented the final panel debate.

Commenting on the forum and the success of the 2008 Rolex Awards for Enterprise, Rebecca Irvin, Director of the Rolex Awards for Enterprise, said: “We are very pleased to welcome the first Rolex Awards Laureate from the Middle East among our 2008 winners, and to help provide a forum for debate on some critical issues for the region’s continued advancement. We look forward to increasing our involvement in the region in the future.”

Talal Akasheh from Jordan was one of the five main recipients of the Rolex Awards this year, the first Laureate in the programme’s history to be chosen from the region. Akasheh received his award for his extensive conservation work dedicated to the monuments of Petra.

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