Sweden (1), Norway (2), Finland (3) and Iceland (4) once again top the rankings in the World Economic Forum's latest Global Gender Gap Report. All countries in the top 20 made progress relative to their scores last year – some more so than others. Latvia (13) and Lithuania (14) made the biggest advances among the top 20, gaining six and seven places respectively, driven by smaller gender gaps in labour force participation and wages. The Report covers a total of 128 countries, representing over 90% of the world’s population.

Visit www.weforum.org/gendergap to learn more about the Report; the rankings (PDF I Excel); country profiles; photos; video interviews with the authors and the press release.

  More than 1,700 participants from 90 countries, including Premier Wen Jiabao of China, are participating in the World Economic Forum's Inaugural Annual Meeting of the New Champions, in Dalian, China. The meeting runs from 6-8 September and will focus on the role the new generation of fast-emerging multinational companies – the New Champions – are playing in substantially changing the global business landscape.

To read news from the event, watch webcasts of sessions and download photos, visit www.weforum.org/dalian

Watch sessions in English:

Watch sessions in Chinese:

Israel will respond “as soon as possible” to the Arab peace initiative which was reaffirmed by the Arab League at their summit in Riyadh earlier this year, Israeli Vice-Prime Minister Shimon Peres told participants at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East. On the podium with Peres, Saeb Erekat, Chief Negotiator for the Palestinian National Authority, called on Israel to accept the Arab peace initiative.

A unified, stable Iraq would be better for everyone, said Mohammad Larijani, Director, Institute for Studies in Theoretical Physics and Mathematics of Iran, in a session on the final day of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East. He said he hoped that the upcoming talks between the US and Iran could ease tensions and encourage deeper cooperation. Orrin Hatch, Senator from Utah (Republican), USA, expressed Washington’s desire to work together to stabilize Iraq and the entire region. “We need to reach out to each other,” Hatch said. While the US has made many mistakes, he acknowledged, “our intentions are honorable.”

His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and Ruler of Dubai, today launched the "Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation", a major initiative to promote human development and provide hope and opportunity by investing in education and the development of knowledge in the region. His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed, made the announcement in a keynote address at the World Economic Forum on the Middle East being held at the Dead Sea in Jordan.

To achieve stability in the Middle East will require inclusive solutions and solidarity among Arabs and Muslims, leaders from the region said on the second day of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East. In addressing the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the civil strife in Iraq, the continuing unrest in Afghanistan and any other sources of instability, regional and international players must be engaged in the process. “Very often we have seen the high costs of exclusion,” said Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. “We must bring everybody to the table.”

Watch a video interview with Sherif El Diwany who is Director of the Middle East at the World Economic Forum. He talks more about the meeting's programme, who will participate and the focus of the talks.

The World Economic Forum on the Middle East will convene at the Dead Sea in Jordan from 18 to 20 May. The World Economic Forum has a strong record as a neutral platform for dialogue between countries, regions and religions. Leaders from the world of business, politics and civil society will meet to discuss various dimensions of the theme, “Putting Diversity to Work”.

His Majesty King Abdullah II of Jordan is expected to deliver an opening address on how World Economic Forum participants can bring critical leadership to the region in the areas of conflict resolution, economic cooperation and development.

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Linda Rottenberg, Co-Founder and CEO of Endeavor Global; Young Global Leader; Schwab Foundation Social Entrepreneur; and Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East gives her insight on some of the issues on the agenda of the meeting which will take place at the Dead Sea from 18-20 May.

In your capacity of Co-Chair, what results would you like to see from the World Economic Forum on the Middle East, particularly in meeting the summit’s theme of "putting diversity to work"?
The World Economic Forum on the Middle East has so much potential and it is up to us to realize that potential. As an institution, the World Economic Forum has the ability to convene the very best leaders and share the best ideas to overcome the hurdles that currently restrict the impact that entrepreneurs have on their communities. To this end, I am particularly excited about the interactive WorkSpace session on entrepreneurship. This session has the opportunity to energize and mobilize business leaders to embrace entrepreneurship in the Middle East. If we are successful, we will create opportunities across many industries and jobs for everyone regardless of background.

How can entrepreneurship help fuel a diversified regional economy and meet the challenge of job creation the Middle East faces?

Above all, entrepreneurs are the risk-takers and the innovators in an economy. Entrepreneurs can and should come from all walks of life – young and old, male and female, privileged and under-privileged. As a society, if we give all of those who opportunistically dare the chance to succeed, we will inherently create a much more diversified regional economy. In turn, this will create more jobs, more investment and ultimately more prosperity for all.

What more should be done to support entrepreneurship and public-private partnerships like the Jordan Education Initiative in the region?

"Support" really is the operative word here. Governments, universities, the media, non-profits, and business leaders must come together and work in concert to create the right conditions for entrepreneurship. This means providing education, mentorship, fair access to "smart capital" and less red-tape to give entrepreneurs the skills, the confidence and the incentive to start businesses. Then, we must trumpet these success stories to inspire others to take up the challenge of entrepreneurship.

Ultimately, we can create a disruptive shift in the mindset of a region. When Endeavor was first founded ten years ago, I remember talking with a taxi driver in Argentina. From the conversation, it emerged that he had a PhD in engineering. I asked him why he was driving a taxi and he replied, "What else could I do?" I asked him whether he had ever considered becoming an entrepreneur. He replied, "What on earth is an entrepreneur?" Ten years later, "emprendedor" has a very established place in the Argentine lexicon

What lessons have you seen in your experience of working with entrepreneurs in other parts of the world that could yield successful results in the Middle East?

Every year, Endeavor conducts a survey of its 250+ high-impact entrepreneurs. Accessible capital, of course, is important, but it is not the be-all and end-all. From our survey, we have found that giving entrepreneurs the right tools and support to make smart financial agreements is just as important as the capital. Our entrepreneurs have consistently reiterated their need for mentors who provide experienced, objective strategic advice, role models who inspire them to "think big" and a supportive community of like-minded entrepreneurs. It doesn’t matter what country the entrepreneur comes from: these are needed to ensure businesses can scale smartly and profitably.

Saeed Al Muntafiq, Executive Chairman of Tatweer; Chairman of the Board of the Young Arab Leaders; and Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East, gives his views on some of the issues on the agenda of the meeting which will take place at the Dead Sea from 18-20 May. 

In your capacity of Co-Chair, what results would you like to see from the World Economic Forum on the Middle East, particularly in meeting the summit’s theme of "putting diversity to work"?

As an Arab businessman, I am looking forward to the results and initiatives of the dialogue that the Arab private sector will engage in during the 2007 edition of the World Economic Forum on the Middle East. I believe that the theme of the Forum "putting diversity to work" addresses one crucial need for the development of the private sector in the Arab world: growth through diversification.

A secure long term growth for the region cannot be built by autonomous efforts of public and private sectors. There needs to be multilateral collaboration between both key parties stimulated by dialogue, to highlight and develop human capital, seeking to exploit the best economic growth opportunities.

I believe we are experiencing a key moment in the history of the Arab private sector. Some Arab countries have already developed strong service sector-based economies whilst reducing their dependence on the fluctuant and limited energy market. This has created the emergence of new sectors of strength, such as tourism, real estate, entertainment and hospitality that create new growth opportunities and Arab companies are in the best position to capitalize on business opportunities.

The World Economic Forum on the Middle East should become an incubator of Arab initiatives, driven by a close conjunction between the public and private sectors across the region that addresses the wellbeing of millions of Arabs through the embracement of economic diversification. I am particularly excited about the potential of new commitments and look forward to an initiative-based prosperous Forum.

Looking from your situation in the Gulf, how do you see the investment climate in the rest of the Middle East and North Africa at this time of high oil prices?

Arab regional investments have experienced a meteoric rise in the last five years. The Arab community is becoming aware of the tremendous potential that panArab investment opportunities have created. Initiatives such as the Greater Arab Free Trade Agreement (GAFTA) have triggered the economic integration of the region. If we combine this with an increasing liberalization of markets, we are slowly but securely creating business opportunities that were never before available to the private sector. As a result, the sector is allowed to participate in infrastructure development and most Arab companies, whether global or local in reach, are positioning themselves to take first-mover advantage of the enormous opportunities being presented in a market with over US$ 400 billion of investments.

However, these market opportunities have also attracted multinational corporations and Arab companies are therefore also feeling the increasing pressure from these experienced competitors, waiting for the opportunity to capitalize on our regional market.

It is my opinion that the biggest power shift for the Arab companies over the next five years is the renewed focus on capitalizing regional opportunities. If we do not manage to secure our common regional ground, we risk losing out on a great growth opportunity.

How is the latest wave of globalization reshaping the competitive landscape for firms in the region?

Globalization has had a great effect on the Arab region: it has perhaps produced one of the biggest cross-sector transformations in our history, changing the way governments search for growth, the way Arab companies have evolved or opening new markets from which we operate. It is true that some countries have understood this before others and it is the reason why some of them are already taking the lead and acting as models to other Arab nations.

The past ten years have seen dramatic changes in the way our markets operate, the management of our companies and the way governments apply international best practices to execute its endeavours. It is true that Arab companies have to recover the pace with regards to our global competitors. The effect of globalization is clear: it is the "change or be changed" attitude and we must be ready to compete in a new environment. If we do not adapt to the systems and procedures of the global stage, we will not be competitive and leave the door open for external actors to profit from the opportunities we did not use.

I believe the next 10 to 20 years will really mark the success of Arab companies, when market liberalization becomes a reality and Arab companies will compete face to face with multinational companies in, not only regional but any market across the world. This is why I believe that Arab companies must first forge a strong position across the Arab markets and then seek entry into foreign regional markets.

As building projects and cities continue to grow, how can successful partnerships between the public and private sector be built to address environmental challenges linked to rapid urban growth?

Public and private partnerships in the field of environmental protection are critical. The majority of best international champions that are pioneering the concept of sustainable environment result from close partnerships between the private and public sector. This is the case in countries like Sweden, Brazil, Germany and Spain, where governments have taken the initiative and created investment-friendly incentives in the area of the environment, whether in the promotion of alternative energy or in the support of specific industries.

Therefore, international best practices are showing that private companies need incentives to start focusing on developing environmentally-friendly solutions and these should be originated from the public sector.

In the case of the Arab region, we are becoming aware of the importance of the environmental challenges we face, particularly those faced with rapid growth or inefficient use of our energy and resources. We are already starting to see the initiatives that some Arab governments, who are responding to this challenge and innovating this field, by promoting the adoption of sustainable development models and creating new systems to comply to this sustainability. I also believe it is a great field for regional companies to take the lead in, and that there is a need for a regional champion.