Leading economists to address inflation, the elephant in the room, at International Government Communication Forum 2023

• Dr. Raja Al Marzoqi, Chief Economic Adviser at the Saudi Ministry of Economy and Planning and a Collaborating Expert with the International Monetary Fund
• David Daokui Li, Professor of Economics at Tsinghua University
• Professor Fan Gang, Director of China’s National Economic Research Institute (NERI) and the Secretary-General of the China Reform Foundation

Amidst the current global economic challenges, the upcoming 12th annual International Government Communication Forum (IGCF) is convening some of the world’s top modern-day economists and academics to address the proverbial elephant in the room, inflation.

Headlined by top economic strategists and business leaders, the discussion session titled ‘Economic Challenges: The Elephant in the Room?’ will be led by prominent economists Dr. Raja Al Marzoqi, alongside David Daokui Li, and Professor Fan Gang.

The speakers at the two-day forum taking place in Expo Centre Sharjah on September 13-14, and open for registration through the official website: www.igcc.ae, will address the impact of inflation on societal resources and wealth, underscore the necessity of robust international cooperation to transparently and effectively confront economic hurdles, and offer valuable insights to surmount these challenges.

Dr. Raja Al Marzoqi is the GCC Chief Negotiator, the Chief Economic Advisor at the Saudi Ministry of Economy and Planning, and a Collaborating Expert with the International Monetary Fund. He also held many high-level positions; including spearheading the International Monetary Fund mission to both Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, as well as undertaking the training of parliamentarians and advisory council members in the Middle East and Central Asia region, championing the ‘Economic security for national security’ strategy.

David Daokui Li is a prominent Chinese economist and the Director of the Center for China in the World Economy (CCWE) at Tsinghua University, he was also part of an academic trio that replaced Fan Gang to the Monetary Policy Committee of the People’s Bank of China (PBOC). Holding esteemed academic positions, Professor Li is renowned for his analytical economic articles published in leading international newspapers.

Prof. Fan Gang is the President of the China Development Institute – one of China’s top 25 national think tanks – and Secretary-General of the China Reform Foundation. He is also Professor of Economics at Peking University. His work includes more than 100 academic research papers published in Chinese and English academic journals and 12 books. He has led research projects commissioned by the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and others.

Moderated by Saudi TV presenter Abdullah Al Mudaifer, the discussion will shed light on government strategies that can simplify complex issues like inflation for the public; transparently communicate sensitive economic issues; and list the most positive and effective ways and methods to communicate negative economic news to safeguard citizens from falling prey to negative financial market expectations.

Furthermore, the three experts will examine the impact of inflation on the attractiveness of countries in the global economic landscape and discuss strategies on how to maintain economic relationships with investors and reassure them during challenging economic times. They will also offer guidance on the narrative governments can adopt and types of investments to be attracted on the global stage during periods of inflation.