The Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Group's 1st Public-Private Partnership Forum, aimed at exploring the challenges, opportunities and achievements of public-private partnerships in the Islamic world, unfolds in Riyadh today (March 22). The day-long event plays host to an impressive array of invited speakers and guests from Member Countries as well as investment experts, economists and representatives of international educational institutions. "With the world economy undergoing accelerated change and many of our member countries experiencing the decline of oil prices, PPP's are becoming more valuable and more popular in realizing the massive infrastructure projects that are vital to the social and economic development of our Member Countries," said Dr. Bandar Hajjar, President of the IDB Group. "The PPP Forum will present formal sessions on specific aspects of PPP's while allowing participants to meet on the sidelines and discuss topics of mutual interest." Some 300 delegates are expected to attend the Forum's four sessions that follow Dr. Hajjar's welcoming remarks and the Keynote Address delivered by Mohammed Bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Minister of Finance and Governor of IDB. Session one will concentrate on Success Stories in IDB Member Countries. Heading the session as a keynote presenter is Mohamed Hedi Mejai, Director of Enterprise Development Department. Following this, there will be a panel discussion by Huseyin Arslan, Chairman of the Board, YDA Group, Turkey; Dr. Nahed Taher, Chairman of Arab Seeds, KSA; Adil Khayame, CEO of SMI, Morocco and Meredydd Rees, Senior Financial Adviser, ENGIE, UAE. In this session the panelists will debate which sector will receive the highest amount of PPP financing in the coming years, and in addition, the most critical factor of PPP projects in terms of bankability. Finally, the role that IDB can play in enhancing collaboration between public and private entities. The forum's second session focuses on how the PPP model is being used to support the development mandates of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030. In this session, panelists will discuss major challenges faced in the KSA in implementing public projects in the infrastructure domain. Also, the rate of readiness of the regulatory framework of PPP in KSA, and finally, IDB's role in supporting Vision 2030. Richard Paton, Head of Infrastructure & Public Sector Strategy, KPMG, KSA, will deliver the session's keynote address. In addition to Mr. Paton, panelists Stephen Vineburg, CEO of ASMA Capital Partners, Bahrain; Naif A. Al Rasheed, Advisor to Minister of Housing and CEO of Investment and Real Estate Development Company, KSA; Dr. Taghreed M Al Ghaith, General Director, Healthcare Strategy General Directory, Saudi Health Council and Dr. Idris Ghodbane, CEO of Alif Fund, UAE. Session three focuses on opportunities for PPP projects in various IDB Member Countries and kicks off with the keynote address delivered by Andrew Roscoe, Power & Water Editor, MEED. Joining Mr. Roscoe for the discussion are Wismana Adi Suryabrata, Deputy Minister for Infrastructure Affairs, Ministry of National Development Planning/Bappenas, Indonesia; Loay Ghazaleh, Advisor, Ministry of Works, Bahrain; Tarek Dandashli, Legal Advisor, Higher Council for Privatization, Lebanon and Dr. Michael Gruenenfelder, Director Europe & New Markets, Thermal Power and Renewable Energy, Poyry Switzerland Ltd., Switzerland. In this session the audience will learn about the best PPP options for financing infrastructure projects, and what sort of support from governments is the most effective to promote PPPs. Furthermore, the participants will discuss which sector seems to be most promising for PPPs in IDB Member Countries. The final session addresses the infrastructure needs of IDB member countries and the means by which PPP's can benefit the fulfillment of these needs. This session will highlight the major advantages of PPPs over traditional public financing models and the main challenges in IDB member countries that restrain them from benefiting from PPPs. Also on the final session's agenda is the readiness of the private sector for PPPs in terms of resources and expertise in IDB Member Countries. John Davie, Chairman of Altra Capital UK, will deliver the keynote address and then be joined by panelists Hülya Paşaoğulları, Head of PPP Department, General Directorate of Foreign Economic Relations, Turkish Treasury, Turkey; Darwin Trisna Djajawinata, Director, PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur (Persero), Indonesia; Layth Irani, Joint General Manager and Head of the Infrastructure and Transport Unit at Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation Europe Ltd, UK and David Baxter, Former Executive Director of the Institute for Public Private Partnerships (IP3), USA. — SG
