Young leaders from around the world have been invited for the first time to take part in a major security summit held annually in Bahrain.
They will take part in closed door sessions of the Manama Dialogue, which will be held from Friday until Sunday at The Ritz-Carlton, Bahrain.
This is the 15th edition of the event, organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS).
“The initiative will contribute to the development of a new generation of young leaders and strategic thinkers from the region,” the IISS said in a statement on its website.
“As their careers develop, they will help inform public sector and business policy-making in the Middle East, North Africa and internationally.”
The IISS Manama Dialogue Middle East and North Africa Young Leaders’ Programme aims to empower younger generations in shaping regional policies.
Young leaders from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE will be taking part in the Manama Dialogue this year as a result.
They will discuss two white papers presented by delegates for discussion on foreign policy.
Preparations for the Manama Dialogue’s main events are now in their final stages, although a keynote speaker is yet to be announced.
Policymakers from the region and beyond will address the most pressing challenges facing the region during the summit, which starts on Friday and concludes on Sunday.
Open sessions will cover topics such as geo-economics in the Middle East; regional competition and co-operation; defence diplomacy and regional security; maritime security; managing conflict and stabilisation; and US policy and alliances.
Closed sessions on Sunday will focus on cyber security, international law and security in the Middle East, “greyzone warfare” and asymmetric threats; and conflict and stabilisation in the Middle East.
There is expected to be limited participation from the UK this year as a result of forthcoming elections and Brexit, although Britain’s National Security Adviser Mark Sedwill is hosting a session.
A German delegation will be headed by Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office Niels Annen and will also include Federal Defence Ministry State Secretary Thomas Silberhorn.
IISS executive director Middle East Lt Gen (retired) Sir Tom Beckett said 2019 had been another year of significant foreign policy, defence and security challenges for the Middle East.
“To help determine how best to navigate the region’s conflicts and confrontations, the IISS is pleased once again to convene the IISS Manama Dialogue, hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain,” Sir Tom told the GDN.
“The IISS Manama Dialogue provides a unique environment where ministers and senior government officials from the Middle East and more widely, as well as leaders from business, media and academia, will convene to discuss the future of security in the region.”
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is among the previous speakers, appearing in his capacity as Foreign Secretary in 2016.
Other big names to have appeared as speakers are former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, King Abdullah of Jordan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi.
sandy@gdn.com.bh
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