His Majesty King Abdullah will on Saturday open the World Economic Forum on the Middle East and North Africa at the Dead Sea.

Around 23 countries will take part in the Forum, which will be held under the theme “Advancing Conditions for Growth and Resilience.”

Over 900 participants representing governments, businesses, civil society, academia, youth and media will take part in the event, which is held in Jordan for the seventh time, to discuss regional challenges including youth unemployment, transparency, income disparity, private sector development and infrastructure.

The Forum will include 34 sessions, in addition to other meetings held on the sidelines of the event.

Hosted in cooperation with the King Abdullah II Fund for Development (KAFD), the Forum will include the third edition of the King Abdullah II Award for Youth Innovation and Achievement (KAAYIA), which was launched by King Abdullah at the World Economic Forum in 2007.

First conceived in January 1971, the World Economic Forum encourages businesses, governments and civil society to commit together to improving the state of the world.