ARAB ENVIRONMENT 2008

First Annual Conference of the Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED)

Manama, 26-27 October 2008

AGENDA

View Agenda in PDF

Sunday 26 October

08:00 - 09:00 Registration

09:00 - 10:00 Opening Ceremony

- Documentary: Arab Environment, Testimony of an Old Man
- Patron Statement H.H. Sheikh Abdallah Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa
- AFED: Dr. Mostafa K. Tolba, President, Board of Trustees
- Partner-Sponsor, Alba: Mr. Mahmoud Al Kooheji, Chairman
- UNEP: Dr. Habib El Habr, Reguional Director
- OPEC Fund for International Development: Mr. Suleiman Al Herbish, D.G.

- Youth Declaration: AMSI Students

10:00 - 10:30 Coffee Break

10:30 - 13:30 Summary of the Arab Environment, Future Challenges Report - Power-Point presentations of findings and recommendations of the 18 chapters by the authors.

13:30 - 15:00 Lunch

15:00 - 16:30 Session 1
Climate Change and Energy Efficiency

Chairman: H.E. Ali Al-Naimi, Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Saudi Arabia

Panelists:
- Dr. Mohamed El-Ashry, Former CEO, Global Environment Facility (GEF)
- Dr. Mahmoud Medany, IPCC expert and Deputy Director of the Central Laboratory for Agricultural Climate Change in Cairo
- Mr. Robin Pinchbeck, Executive Director, Petrofac Services

16:30 - 18:30 Discussion of the Report in Four Separate Workshops

20:00 Dinner hosted by Alba (Gulf Hotel, transportation arranged)

Monday 27 October

09:00 - 10:30 Session 2
Financing Environmental Programs: Private-Public Partnership

Chairman: H.E. Khaled Irani, Minister of Environment, Jordan

Panelists:
- Mr. Suleiman Al-Herbish, Director General, OPEC Fund for International Development- OFID
- Mr. Hussein Abaza, Chief, Trade, Economics & Environment Division, UNEP
- Mr. Ronald Portelli, Managing Director, Alturki Environmental and Former President, Canadian Environmental Industry Association

10:30 - 11:00 Coffee Break

11:00 - 12:30 Session 3
Water Management

Chairman: H.E. Narmin Osman, Minister of Environment, Iraq

Panelists:
- H.E. Mohammed Al-Bawardi, Secretary General of the Executive Council in Abu Dhabi
- Mr. Ahmed Al-Noaimi, CEO, ALBA
- Dr. Walid Abdulrahman, Professor of Water, University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

12:30 - 14:30 Lunch and breakout sessions

12:30 – 14:00  Syndicate Room 1
                        Corporate Environmental Responsibility (CER)
AFED Announces and discusses its CER programme, coordinated by Programme Director Bashar Zeitoon,

Panelists:

1. Hussein Abaza, Economics and Trade Branch, UNEP
2. Raji Hatar, Director CSR, Aramex
3. Saif Al-Naimi, Director HSE, Qatar Petroleum
4. Amjad Rihan, Director of Climate Change and Sustainability Services ME, Ernst & Young  

13:00 – 14:00  Syndicate Room 2
                        Aluminium Smelter Solid Waste Treatment (SPL)
                        Roundtable discussion on SPL available solutions, experience, future SPL plans in the region and road map.

Panelists: Executives of GCC aluminium companies.

14:30 - 16:00 : Session 4
Arab Environment Policies, Institutions and Cooperation

Chairman: H.H. Sheikh Abdullah Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa,
President, General Commission for the Protection of Marine Resources, Environment and Wildlife, Bahrain

Panelists:
- H.E. Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Awadi, Executive Secretary, ROPME
- H.E. Khaled Irani, Minister of Environment, Jordan
- Dr. Mostafa Kamal Tolba, President, AFED
- H.E. Dr. Adnan Badran, President, Petra University and former Prime Minister of Jordan
(Ministers present will join the panel)

16:00 - 16:30 Closing session