Several Arab commerce ministers and other officials were conspicuous by their absence at the First Arab Consumer and Brand Protection Forum on Monday. Among them were Amr Moussa, the Arab League Secretary General, who was expected to give a keynote speech. In the second session which was to be chaired by Saudi Commerce and Industry Minister, Abdullah Bin Ahmad Zainal Alireza; neither the Saudi Minister nor the Egyptian minister Rasheed Muhammad Rasheed or the Tunisian minister Rida Al-Towaiti were present. Ameen Molla, Director of Standards and Specifications headed the session in the Saudi minister's stead. Abdul Aziz Al-Othaimeen, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hemaya Company which organized the forum, said: “We did not receive any apologies from absent ministers. Participants from the US White House and others from east and west attended the Forum.” Al-Othaimeen said Minister Alireza had informed the forum at the last minute that he would not be present at the opening ceremony which, according to Al-Othaimeen, caused a a degree of panic as the search began for alternative speakers. A number of women from the Kingdom, Morocco and Tunisia were invited to speak at the forum but declined. Jennifer Groves, representative of the Trade Executive Office of the President of the United States, was also invited but was not able not attend. – Okaz __
