That's why the surprising venue for the forum's hastily scheduled "extraordinary annual meeting" this month -- Amman, Jordan -- underscores the urgency, and the ambition, of the meeting. Hosted by Jordan's King Abdullah II, the June 2123 forum seeks to do nothing less than help "create a new world order," according to forum founder and president Klaus Schwab.
"There is uncertainty, doubt and hostility in the Middle East, transatlantic relations are at an all-time low, and the global economy shows little sign of recovery," points out the 63-year-old University of Geneva business professor. "We need to tackle these issues head-on and without a moment's delay."
Although recent forums have lost some of their cachet -- victims of the sluggish world economy, antiglobalization protests and security concerns -- the irrepressible Schwab can still deliver the A-list. Among those accepting so far: U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and U.S. Trade Representative Bob Zoellick, who are expected to unveil details of the proposed U.S.Middle East free-trade zone; German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer; NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson; Bahrain's crown prince, Sheikh Salman bin-Hamad al-Khalifa; and League of Arab States Secretary General Amr Moussa.
CEOs will also be there in abundance, including Boeing's Philip Condit, BP's Lord Browne of Madingley, Cisco Systems' John Chambers, Fluor's Alan Boeckmann and Nestlé's Peter Brabeck-Letmathe.
"What is encouraging is the willingness of such key people to go the extra mile to be in Jordan," says the forum's Schwab. "They realize that this is the moment for dialogue and that the World Economic Forum can provide the framework for these discussions."
