1 Palestine Investment Conference 2010 Closing Session Summary ...

Palestine Investment Conference 2010
Closing Session Summary
(Bethlehem- June 3 rd 2010)
*Speakers:
- Chair: Mr. Jafar Hdaib, CEO of Palestine Investment Conference 2010, and Director
General of the Palestinian Investment Promotion Agency.
- Mr. Mohammad Nafez Hirbawi, Chairman of the Palestinian Private Sector Coordination
Council.
- Mr. Muneeb Al Masri, Chairman of the Palestine Development and Investment Ltd.
(PADICO).
- H.E. Dr. Hasan Abu Libdeh, the Conference CEO, and the Minister of National Economy.
*Summary:
- Mr. Jafar Hdaib:
We cancel all festivities that accompany this conference and transfer the sessions to business and
potential investor sessions. This leads me to express my apologies for the conflicting information
during the holding of sessions. Nevertheless this is the best we can do as the executive
management of this conference.
We are here over the land of Palestine in the city which is the birthplace of Jesus Christ; we
welcome all the guests of Palestine, Palestinians from outside Palestine, as well as Arabs from
other countries, and from countries from all over the world. We were surprised by the demand in
electronic registration to be a part of the conference.
Thousands of Palestinians and thousands of supporters aspire to come to Palestine, however and
because, we committed to allocate this conference for its aim which is investment, we exert all
possible effort to bring in this group of businessmen who have come despite all obstacles and
impediments to travel to Palestine. We thank you all for your presence, and we hope we have met
your expectations and we apologize to any person who we failed to meet their needs. And we
promise you that we are accumulating experience, and that every time you come to Palestine you
will witness and feel progress at all levels. In this session I would like to reiterate that our light was
to first shed success stories on Palestinian private sectors.
We and through presenting these success stories are sending one message that says that I as a
member of the Government when I stand in front of you to tell you and to give you repeated
messages that you hear whatever you will from all those that live in the public sector, that we have
an advanced law and have harmonized procedures.
And they said that we have complicated procedures and cannot attract investments. The best
message that attracts investments; is the message that comes from the private sector, and makes
people stop their reluctance. The Palestinian business men of who we are proud for his
steadfastness and resilience, this businessman is the person who says despite these obstacles we
work in Palestinian and we achieve profits. We are not in the perfect place but we are not in the
worst place. We are an acceptable place in comparison with neighboring companies. Therefore
our call for investing in Palestine is not for sympathy but for solidarity. Investment is investment
for work and profit, and in Palestine it will be for enhancing the process of the people of its
homeland in order to achieve our dream and salvation from this occupation.
- Mr. Mohammad Hirbawi:
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The presence of this large number of businessmen over the course of this conference, which is
convening for the second time in Bethlehem, the city of peace of love, and near the city of
Jerusalem, the place of journey for Mohammad, and I stand here today in this concluding session. I
go back to the memory of the year 2005 when we started to prepare for the first conference; there
was always a concern if investors would really come in Palestine when it is still under occupation.
The preparations were almost completed after we visited some countries, and there was
encouragement, and you all remember what happened after the year 2006. And so we decided to
hold the conference in 2008, two years ago. The surprise was in the large number of people who
attended the conference. There were many agreements and projects that were signed. And these
agreements that were signed two years ago are being implemented. For example the Rawabi City,
as work started in this city, as well as the Watania Company.
During the two days of this conference, after speaking to people from abroad, we asked them what
is the difference between the conference in 2008 and this second one. The answer was this one is
much better because we started to feel a lot of changes, particularly in the plans of the PA
Government, sensing an improvement in security, judiciary, and all the different sectors that are
crucial to investment.
There was a clearer focus for the conference members. This is a chance to meet each other and
assess needs and future projects. I call on all businessmen and colleagues from abroad.
There are a lot of possibilities in all the northern governorates. For example electricity, which is
imported from Israel. There are many, many projects. Of course there are some statistics and
information of the Palestinian products…which reach only 15% in this market. Also in the sector
of agriculture there are several opportunities and successes made possible.
As my colleague Jafar has already said, the investment law in Palestine, as this is another stimulus
for investors in Palestine. Come to Palestine and share with us the profits and the successes. The
question of stone and marble, we are proud we have factories that are considered ranking, leading
companies in the world. When we hear that the Palestinian stones have reached 60 countries
around the world, we know it takes defiance, struggle, and potential. I know you all have worked
hard over the past two days but I would like to thank all of you.
We also thank the Palestinian Investment Promotion Agency; I also thank all the members of the
Steering Committee, and all the partners of the private companies. I would also thank all those
who worked day and night to make this conference a reality.
- Mr. Jafar Hdaib:
One cannot thank oneself, our brothers, businessmen and participants from Gaza, who if any one
of them suffered for one minute then we suffer for hours…those who came from Gaza through the
way of convoy, and they are forced to go back at the same time in the same manner, these people
cannot be thanked enough, for they are the owners of this event.
But I must also thank and express my gratitude to the Gaza Strip Committee. And it is important to
thank the Jerusalem Committee headed by Mazen Sinokrot which is able to present a new
investment company with a capitol of 20 million dollars. I would like to thank the heads of these
committees.
We will do an accurate assessment of this conference. We have conducted a new strategy in
coordination with experts and this strategy that is Palestinian investment agency has adopted will
lead to a change in the drastic work of this agency. Following the outbreak of the Intifada, the
agency was only capable of giving incentives limited. But this gives it the chance to do whatever is
necessary in terms of doing follow up and planning and carrying out the strategy. The findings and
strategies, recommendation, and network will be disseminated. First I would like to express my
gratitude to CCC, PIF, PADICO, Palestinian Electricity Company, Paltel, Al Aqua Fund, USAID,
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UKAID; these are the partners of this conference who based on a decision by the Higher Steering
Committee we decided that Muneeb Al Masri would speak on behalf of all these partners.
- Mr. Muneeb Al Masri:
Brothers and sisters we were so happy to meet you today at this conference and at every event that
allows us to meet businesspeople from abroad. The success of this event is no doubt the success
for international solidarity, which we desperately need. You come here and your interest in taking
part in building the economy, your contribution to building the modern Palestinian state and
achievement of the dream, is important to me.
We extend our gratitude to all our friends…Abu Mazen, Abu Khaled, and the Palestinian
Government Hassan Abu Libdeh, Jafar….team of preparation of this conference. Congratulations
to all of you on behalf of all my brothers and sisters.
I would call this the third conference, because the second was really held in Nablus.
- Mr. Jafar Hdaib:
Many of you in this place know me well that I am not a bureaucrat. You know me well, I have
never been an opportunist, and I never imagined I would present abu Libdi. But this day has come
and this is equivalent to the proverb: do not be astonished of anything, because today I present Dr.
Hassan.
In May 2006 a decision was taken to host the Palestine Conference, and that decision was delayed
for two years until May 2008. During that period as my brother abu Omar said, but I want to say
the situation is better than then. At that time the situation was different, it was absolutely different.
We did not have this theater here, and did not exist.
Pharmaceuticals, Fatah movement, engineering, it was held in November that year. Then the
London Conference that was held in December.
The Exhibition Committee came and made field visits when it was under preparation. The Higher
Committee made visits while this event was planned; I know some people left their work and their
businesses in order to be active in these communities. Dr. Hassan I thank you for your
management of the Higher Committee, and chairing it, and I would like to extend our thanks to all
those who are to be honored in this conference. There are more 13 supplier companies that were
contracted for this, DAI, Wassel, Sky, MAS Institute, Paltrade, and to all companies functioning
here. We promise you as an executive administration that all committees and members will be
honored later in the presence of the PM, who wanted to convey to you this honor will be done later
in his presence.
The conference is to achieve a higher goal, a forum for networking, to attract investment, and for
not announcing figures. Some figures were announced yesterday by the media center, they decided
to have a comprehensive evaluation, and this report will be subjected to the Higher Committee.
After that it will be published on the websites and all participants.
- Dr. Hasan Abu Libdeh:
Allow me to start by saying to all our distinguished guests who came from abroad, you have been
generous by your participation. I talk on behalf of everyone from the public sector to the private,
this conference reps the solidarity and conviction to contribute to building Palestine, and to put it
on the map of world economy.
I also reiterate here that this conference was also honored by two crowds, the people from the Gaza
strip. From the private sector there that is under siege, we thank u for your participation and we
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hope that such participation will continue to represent all Palestinian groups, from exile, and from
all over the world.
I believe that this conference has been successful. This conference confirmed the impression that
was generated by the first conference. Each participant in the first conference came with second
expectations of our potential. This has been successful because it has mobilized participation. This
conference has exceeded the PFLP general conference. It did not limit itself to networking efforts
between people, but presented ready projects for investment. But most importantly the conference
was most successful to reconfirm the Arab identity of this place.
But how could this effort be this possible? Our conference is not about administrative and political
decisions. This is about volunteers, sponsors, workers; this conference was not only a conference
by the number of participants, but a conference by those who contributed. To you, we say thank
you very much because you raised the name of Palestine high and made us proud. You gave this
beautiful, romantic picture, this conference was creativity. We are going to learn a lot from the
details over time.
This conference could not have been successful without the hospitality of Bethlehem and its
generous people and it's all its generosity, and patience in light. Therefore I tell everyone to this
area, and to the governor, you have done a very good job in preparing the environment and helping
us in finding all the proper needs to receive these people. There were unknown comrades who
provided you discipline, security, safety. Palestinian security forces, I thank you for making this
conference something to be proud of.
Of course, there was not a slight possibility for this conference if it were not for the wise
instructions of the Higher Committee.
This conference is not an effort in partnership in relation to private and public sectors alone. It is a
distinguished effort by individual participation, private, public, and international who had the
leading role for this conference to achieve its desired objectives all of this would not have been
possible without the full sponsorship of Abbas and Fayyad.
The question now is what is next? First allow me Masri, of course we are proud of the northern
gathering, but the third Palestine Conference will focus on education and health. We will begin
work as of next month, and compiling several different projects so we are able to make it a
success.
Before I conclude how this conference could be successful without the presence.
I thank Palestine Promotion Agency, you deserve all our gratitude. Finally this conference was a
good opportunity to reiterate the challenges and defiance of the Palestinian people. The act before
a few days almost led us to cancel, but through the wise vision of the leaders and the number of
colleagues, we decided to proceed and move forward, because it reflects the real face of the
Palestinian people.
Thank you all for giving us the opportunity. And allow me to announce the end of this conference
and I hope to meet you in the last week of May 2011 in this same place in Bethlehem in the
convention center which also took the full burden over the past two days, and I thank this center,
and give you all the best wishes. Enjoy Palestine. We wish you a safe trip back home. And I
announce the closing of this conference.
-END-
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