Prominent economic and political analysts and experts come together this year for the "Arab Strategy Forum" which will be held in Dubai on Tuesday under the patronage of the Vice President and Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The 10th edition of the forum, which will be be held under the theme ‘The State of the World in 2018’, brings together prominent economic and political analysts in the region such as: former French President Francois Hollande, former US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, and economist and Nobel Laureate in Economics Joseph Stiglitz. The forum aims to enable leaders in both private and public sectors to better anticipate future developments with the aim of fostering an analytical discussion of the state of the world in 2018. The Arab Strategy Forum also seeks to create a platform for leaders to share their short-term forecasts, through leadership and insights, and aims to enable leaders in both private and public sectors to better anticipate future developments. Chairman of the Arab Strategy Forum Mohammed al-Gergawi indicated that the world is rapidly changing and UAE believes that it is necessary to prepare for the future with all its changes. "This is why we are creating platforms that will help the region and the world.The Arab Strategic Forum is an important platform and an accurate tool that hosts leading thinkers of politics and economy from around the world to create a forward-looking map that will help decision-makers face the challenges and seize opportunities," he added. Gergawi stated that this years forum takes place amidst highly influential political and economic events globally and regionally. Speaking about the forum, Hollande said that the world needs such a forum to build a common perception about what is going on today and what can happen tomorrow in order to help decision makers adopt preventive policies. "We must be well aware of the importance of agreeing on common visions and close cooperation for a better future," he added. Also at the forum, Robert Gates, who also worked for the CIA for 26 years, declared that the world faces many issues affecting the political landscape, international relations and the global economy. "The Arab Strategic Forum plays an important role in bringing together thinkers and influencers in international relations and economics to identify global trends, new developments and set a vision of the world situation in 2018" he added. President of Eurasia Group, Ian Bremmer, will be speaking on "Mega Trends in 2018" at the forum. He described the forum as an opportunity to strengthen the principle of cooperation and build partnerships between institutions and decision makers. "This is why our partnership at Euro-Asia Group with the Arab Strategic Forum is to provide a model about these partnerships, hoping that it will expand and become more effective," added Bremmer. Nobel Prize laureate in economics Joseph Stiglitz said that Arab Strategic Forum is a tool for exploring the future of the global economy and determining its direction. "We hope that it will contribute to the formulation of common policies that support sustainable development goals," indicated Stiglitz. Former General Manager of al-Arabiya News Channel, Abdulrahman al-Rashid stated that the Arab region witnessed in the past few years serious events that have affected the overall political and economic situation. "This is why I consider my participation in this years Arab Strategic Forum as part of a collective vision in a way we hope it lead to the development of solutions that will alleviate the suffering of innocent people and reduce damage created by conflicts," concluded Rashid.