2006 Middle East Conference Success Stories in the Arab World May 28, 2006 Dubai, UAE Conference Program Please download the Conference Program to read more about the speakers and panels that were featured in the 2006 Middle East conference. Please click on the links next to each presenter's name to download their presentation, if available, or read their biography.   The conference featured four panels: Panel 1: Entrepreneurship in the Arab World: Perspectives from the Region's Leading Entrepreneurs Adel Ali (bio): CEO of Air Arabia Ennis Rimawi (bio - presentation): Managing Partner of Catalyst Private Equity   Panel 2: Tertiary Education in the Arab World: Successes and Ongoing Challenges Dr. Wadih Atiya, Dean of Undergraduate Programs at the American University of Sharjah Dean Daniel Alonso, M.D. (bio): Dean of Cornell Medical School in Qatar Dr. John Waterbury (bio): President of the American University of Beirut   Panel 3: The State and Future Prospects of Economic Growth in the Arab world: Perspectives from the Region's Leading Policymakers HE Dr. Basem Awadallah (bio): Jordanian Former Minister of Planning HE Sheikha Lubna Al Qassimi (bio - presentation): UAE Minister for Economy and Planning   Panel 4: The Arab World's Finance Industry: Aspirations, Global Positioning, and Challenges Sameer Al Ansari (bio - presentation): CEO Dubai International Capital Hassan Heikal (bio): Co-Chairman and CEO of EFG-Hermes Arif Naqvi (bio - presentation): Executive Vice-Chairman and CEO of Abraj Capital Ahmad Tantash (bio): Chairman & CEO of Jordinvest Michael Matossian (bio - presentation): Global Head of Group Regulatory Compliance at Arab Bank Muneef Tarmoom (presentation): CEO of Istithmar       Speaker Biographies: Adel Ali, CEO of Air Arabia, together with the founder team, is credited with creating the Middle East and North Africa 's first low-fares airline, air arabia, which began operations in October 2003. He brought over 25 years of strategic aviation, tourism and marketing experience to the start-up operation. Adel's distinctive leadership style, vision, skilful management of any situation or person combined with his charisma and zeal make him an inspiration to his team and has made air arabia a pioneering success.   He previously served as vice president commercial and customer service for Gulf Air, where he played a central role in the airline's recovery. He also held senior management positions with British airways, including General Manager Middle East and Africa.   In addition, Adel served as a director and senior board member for a number of companies in Middle East and Europe. He has been recognized within the industry as a Middle East airline expert and has received awards for his contribution to air transport and tourism in the Middle East and Africa.     Dean Daniel R. Alonso, MD is the Inaugural Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar . Dr. Alonso was born in Argentina where he attended medical school and received his M.D. degree from the University of Cuyo in 1962. After two years of training in general surgery there, he moved to the United States to become an intern in surgery at Bellevue Hospital, New York City. This was followed by a residency in Anatomic Pathology at The New York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center. Upon completion of his residency in 1969, Dr. Alonso joined the faculty of Cornell University Medical College as an Instructor in Pathology. He rose through the ranks and became a full Professor in 1984.   During his years as a Pathology faculty member, Dr. Alonso did research in cardiovascular diseases, practiced Anatomic Pathology, directed the second year Pathology course, introduced the use of computers and digital images in medical student education, and pioneered the use of problem-based learning.   Dr. Alonso joined the Medical College administration in 1982 as Associate Dean of Admissions. Five years later he was appointed Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, a newly created position that oversaw all aspects of the medical education mission. In this capacity, his areas of responsibility included the educational program leading to the M.D. degree and all related offices (Academic Affairs, Curriculum and Educational Development, Admissions, Student Affairs, Weill Education Center, Minority Affairs, Student Financial Aid) and the Office of Continuing Medical Education. Later, the Program in Gross Anatomy (when it was split from the Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy), and the Physician Assistant Program were added to his responsibilities.   During the mid 90's, Dr. Alonso directed a major curricular reform at the Medical College that resulted in the creation of a very successful curriculum characterized by integration of the teaching of basic and clinical sciences, problem-based learning, office-based preceptorships, and primary-care and doctoring courses. Implementation of this new curriculum began in the fall of 1996 coinciding with the opening of the Weill Education Center, a new teaching facility designed under his supervision. Implementation was completed four years later with the graduation of the class of 2000.     Sameer Al Ansari is Chief Executive Officer for Dubai International Capital, the investment arm of Dubai Holding. Mr. Al Ansari joined the Executive Office of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed as Group CFO with responsibility for the financial, strategic, legal and Corporate Restructuring of the Group which includes high profile projects such as TECOM, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai Health Care City and Dubailand. Mr. Al Ansari is a board member on several companies locally and internationally including Dubai Media Inc., Dubai International Financial Center and Dubai International Financial Exchange. Mr. Al Ansari's professional career commenced with BDO in London before he moved to Dubai with Ernst & Young in 1987. After Ernst and Young he was Chief Financial Officer at Dubai Aluminium Company (Dubal) where he played a key role in the successful turn around of the company. Sameer is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales and holds an Honours BSc in Accounting & Financial Management and a Diploma in Industrial Studies.     His Excellency Dr. Bassem Awadallah is the former Minister of Planning and International Cooperation of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Previous posts include Director of the Economic Department at the Royal Hashemite Court (1999-2001), Economic Advisor to the Prime Minister of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (1996-1999) and Economic Secretary to the Prime Minister (1992-1996). Dr. Awadallah worked in the investment-banking field in the United Kingdom from 1986 to 1991. Dr. Awadallah holds a Ph. D and M.Sc. degree in Economics from the London School of Economics (1985 & 1988) and a Bachelor's of Science in Foreign Service from Georgetown University (1984). Dr. Awadallah is the recipient of Al Hussein Medal for Distinguished Service, the Al Kawkab Decoration of the First Order of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, AL Istiqlal Decoration of the First Order of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and the Royal Hashemite Award for distinguished service at the MENA Summit in Amman (1995).     Hassan Heikal is the Co-Chairman & CEO at EFG-Hermes. Heikal joined EFG-Hermes in September 1995, from Goldman Sachs, where he served in the Corporate Finance Division on the telecommunications team.   Hassan Heikal has been the driving force behind the growth of EFG-Hermes Investment Banking division. Under his leadership, the group has advised clients such as Vodafone plc., Sainsbury's, Heineken, PepsiCo, Pirelli and Bayer.   Heikal's track record and experience makes him one of the region's best known and most creative investment bankers. He holds a BSC from the Faculty of Economics and Political Science, Cairo University, Egypt.     Michael Matossian joined Arab Bank plc in November 2005 as the Global Head of Group Regulatory Compliance. Mr. Matossian has over 25 years of experience in regulatory compliance risk management, anti-money laundering, and audit. Over the past 13 years his roles have included serving as Chief Compliance Officer, as well as SVP and Director of Regulatory Risk Management, Director of Anti-Money Laundering, and General Auditor at three different leading U.S. financial institutions; he spent 10 years working for a "Big Four" public accounting firm, and two years with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). Mr. Matossian participates on several national and international task forces addressing anti-money laundering and compliance matters. He holds the following certifications: certified public accountant, certified management accountant, certified risk professional, certified fraud examiners, and certified anti-money laundering specialist.     Arif Naqvi is the Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Abraaj Capital Limited, which manages the US $121 million Abraaj Buyout Fund, the largest private equity fund in the Middle East, and the US $35 million Special Opportunities Fund. The Abraaj Buyout Fund's signature deal was the successful US $65 million leveraged buyout of Aramex International Limited, the region's leading courier and logistics company, on the NASDAQ market. The tender offer was the first transaction of its kind by a firm in the Middle East.   In 1994, Mr. Naqvi founded the Cupola Group, a leading regional private equity firm, and is currently the non-Executive Chairman and majority shareholder.   His track record in private equity is well recognized throughout the region. He has participated in several landmark deals, including the acquisition of Inchcape's Middle East interests from its parent company. Over the last 8 years, he has completed 16 transactions (buy and sell) within Cupola, where the average capital gain has exceeded 50%, with an IRR of 34% p.a. over 8 years and 53% in the last five years.   Prior to founding Cupola, Mr. Naqvi was Vice-President of Business Development for the Olayan Group, Saudi Arabia's largest private trading company. Prior to this, he worked with American Express Bank in Karachi where he helped establish one of the country's first investment banks.   Mr. Naqvi began his career with Arthur Andersen and Company in London in 1982 after graduating from the London School of Economics with honors in a BSc. specializing in Economic Institutions and Planning.   Mr. Naqvi is a member of the Young Presidents Organization, where he was the Emirates Chapter Chairman in 2002-2003 and has been designated a New Asian Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2003-2004. He is also a member of numerous think tanks and policy groups and is a Board Member of the Pakistan Human Development Fund.     Joseph S. Nye, Jr., University Distinguished Service Professor, is also the Sultan of Oman Professor of International Relations and former Dean of Harvard's Kennedy School of Government. He received his bachelor's degree summa cum laude from Princeton University, did postgraduate work at Oxford University on a Rhodes Scholarship, and earned a PhD in political science from Harvard. He has served as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Chair of the National Intelligence Council, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Security Assistance, Science and Technology. In 2004, he published Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics, Understanding International Conflict (5th edition), and The Power Game: A Washington Novel.     Her Excellency Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi is the United Arab Emirates' Minister for Economy & Planning. In November 2004, she became the first woman in the country's history to assume a cabinet position. Sheikha Lubna is also the Chief Executive Officer of Tejari, the Middle East's premier electronic business-to-business marketplace.   Prior to managing Tejari, Sheikha Lubna was the senior manager of the information systems department at the Dubai Ports Authority (DPA), a position she held for more than seven years. Before joining DPA, Sheikha Lubna acted as the Dubai branch manager for the General Information Authority, the organization responsible for automating the federal government of the United Arab Emirates. She has more than fifteen years of information technology management experience in the Middle East region.   In 2001 Sheikha Lubna headed the Dubai e-government executive team responsible for instituting e-government initiatives throughout the public sector. Sheikha Lubna holds a Bachelor of Science degree from California State University of Chico, and an Executive MBA from the American University of Sharjah.     Ennis Rimawi is Managing Partner at Catalyst Private Equity. Over the past 14 years Ennis has been a founder, investor, and/or leader in 7 different industrial and technology ventures ranging from automotive plastics and industrial chemicals to software. Ennis has a strong industrial background, but is best known for his founding role and leadership of two of the top regional software success stories, as well as his promotion of industrial technology development as a Founder of the MIT Arab Alumni Association.   Currently Ennis is the Managing Partner of Catalyst Private Equity, an Arab region industrial and technology fund focused primarily on the Energy and Water sectors.   Before launching Catalyst, Ennis was also CEO and a Founder of Estarta Solutions. Both Microsoft Corporation and Cisco Systems made their first equity investments in the Arab world, in Estarta under Ennis' leadership. Estarta is a leading regional software solutions company with proprietary products and over 180 full-time professionals. Estarta is based in Jordan with operations in the US, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia serving clients such as Aramco, Arab Bank, Bahrain Royal Courts, Cisco, Government of Qatar, Microsoft, Kuwait Telecom, Kuwait Oil Company, National Bank of Kuwait, Jordan Telecom, Oman Telecom, and Palestine Telecom. Ennis remains in his Vice Chairman role at Estarta.   Previously Ennis was the founder and the CEO of ONEWORLD Software Solutions, based in Boston, from inception in 1997 through the market crash, spin off and merger of ONEWORLD Jordan in 2002 to form Estarta Solutions. ONEWORLD was given a New England Top 50 award and included in a JP Morgan private equity report on wireless companies. The 350 person software engineering services company serviced an all-US client base through its software development centers in Jordan and China. ONEWORLD was on track for a NASDAQ IPO as a market maker until the market crash of 2000.   Before starting ONEWORLD, Ennis was a member of Ford Motor Company's Executive Manufacturing Leadership Program, with four years in various manufacturing and engineering positions with Ford including leading manufacturing engineering at a JV startup focused on automotive component design and manufacturing after a McKinsey & Company study. Ennis has also held consulting and research positions with GE, QUALCOMM, 3Com and United Technologies.   International media and speaking appearances include NBC-Boston, CCTV (China), DubaiTV, Red Herring, Business Week, Washington Post, Boston Globe, various MIT Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Conferences, Harvard Entrepreneurship Conferences, Arab Bankers Association of North America (ABANA) in NYC, in addition to regional technology and business conferences and media.   Ennis was also President and a Founder of the MIT Arab Alumni Association, a member of the Hijjawi College Industry Advisory Board, the PSUT 10K Business Plan Competition Advisory Board, and a member of World Economic Forum subcommittee, Young Arab Leaders (YAL). Ennis supports regional technology entrepreneurship through direct private investments and several board positions with companies such as Environmental Protection and Sanitation Company (EPASCO), Jeeran, and Jordan Powder Paint Company.   Ennis holds three degrees from MIT. A BS in Engineering Systems ('91), a MS in Environmental Engineering, and an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management. Ennis was a Fellow in the MIT Leaders for Manufacturing Program, a top US program for industrial development and industrial corporate leadership.     Ahmad Tantash is founder, partner, chairman, and board member of several enterprises and has managed to establish his name in the business circle over the last ten years.   Venturing into the financial sector, Tantash is currently the Chairman and CEO of Jordan Investment Trust- Jordinvest, the first Jordanian public shareholding company to offer a variety of integrated investment banking solution in both the local and regional markets.   Tantash entered the world of financial services after working at UBS/ Zurich for some time in 2003. Upon his return, he founded imcan for Financial Services in June 2003.   The two-year old company, which specializes in brokerage and trading services as well as market research, was able to clinch eighth place in terms of JD trading value among brokerage houses operating at the Amman Stock Exchange in 2004.   Diversifying his investments, Tantash entered the hospitality sector, establishing Jana for Restaurant Management in mid 2003. The company obtained its first franchise from Cinnabon International, introducing the world's most famous cinnamon rolls to Jordan.   Tantash also chairs Tantash Group, an investment and management company incorporating Turn Key Information Solutions (TIS), which he established in 1993, Jana for Restaurant Management, and imcan for Financial Services.   In addition, Tantash sits on the boards of Arab Life & Accidents Insurance Co. (P.S.C) and Jordan Investment and Finance Bank. He is also the Vice Chairman of the National Shipping Lines and the Medical Clinics.   Mr. Tantash graduated in 1992 from George Washington University, Washington DC with a M.Sc. in Information Systems Technology.     Dr. John Waterbury became the fourteenth president of AUB in January 1998 and the first president to reside in Beirut since 1984. During his tenure at AUB, Dr. Waterbury has sought to restore the University to its long-standing place and reputation as an institution of higher learning meeting the highest international standards.   Before joining AUB, Waterbury was, for nearly twenty years, professor of politics and international affairs at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He specialized in the political economy of the developing countries with a special focus on the Middle East. He was director of Princeton's Center of International Studies and editor of the academic journal, World Politics, from 1992 to 1998.   Waterbury earned his PhD in public law and government at Columbia University in 1968 and went on to the University of Michigan as assistant professor of political science. In 1971 he joined the American Universities Field Staff, a consortium of American Universities, which he represented in Cairo from 1971 to 1977. During 1977-78 he was visiting professor at the Universite, Aix-Marseilles III in France.   Dr. Waterbury has published widely on the politics of the Middle East, the political economy of public enterprise, and on the development of international river basins. His latest book, 'The Nile Basin: National Determinants of Collective Action,' was published by Yale University Press in 2002.