A Sharm-Davos diary: Walking a tightrope
By Assem El-Kersh
Not many people came back from the Davos World Economic Forum in Sharm El-Sheikh with tans. Although the high-profile meeting took place in one of the world's most beautiful, and sunny, resorts, the three days of non- stop talking, brainstorming, hand shaking, networking and deal-making left little space for sun and fun.
For nearly 75 continuous hours, the leaders, tycoons, politicians, pop stars, activists and media people who gathered here discussed ways the Middle East might meet "The Promise of a New Generation" -- the forum's motto. They filled the elegant, high-tech conference centre with ambitious ideas that they promised would catalyse a dramatic economic resurgence for the region.
Over the course of 45 sessions, however, it soon became obvious that everything about the summit seemed to be precariously balanced between lofty ambitions and rock-solid reality.
This fragile dynamic was clear from the very beginning, as President Hosni Mubarak inaugurated the gathering by declaring that the winds of change in the Middle East were dependent on resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the tumultuous situation in Darfur, the Iranian nuclear standoff, the tension between Syria and Lebanon and the disastrous state of affairs in Iraq. The destructive effect of these major regional roadblocks soon became a chorus, repeated nearly constantly during the conference sessions and in smaller pow- wows in the corridors.
In fact, everywhere you turned the conference itself appeared to be walking a tightrope between feelings of hindrance and hope. The airtight security, for one, obvious from the first second of participants' arrival, and omnipresent until their departure, was a test case in how far you can go in securing an area without appearing excessively afraid; how to guarantee that there was no chance of danger, while restoring the nation's image as a peaceful destination at the same time. For the most part, it worked.
The seemingly harsh criticism of US foreign policy was also a clear example of how this balancing act was playing out. The tough talk during the discussions seemed to be a way of disguising the fact that US demands were actually being met on the ground; after all, Hamas and Iran were not invited, despite the fact that the conference was meant to include the entire region. In tandem with this shunning of "unwanted" Islamic regimes, two other, more "flexible" Islamic regimes came instead -- namely Turkey and Malaysia, both of whom are feted for their economic success. Despite this seemingly clear message about the Davos door policy, the Malaysian prime minister insisted that his nation would never let go of its "Islamic identity", or its economic gains.
A typical exchange reflecting the chicken-and-egg approach of where the region should be heading took place during one of the most heated sessions, about Arab democracy. On the stage, Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Al-Siniora gave the impression that reform had to wait until the Arab-Israeli crisis was completely resolved. Meanwhile, Abdel-Moneim Said, director of Al-Ahram Centre for Political and Strategic Studies, insisted that the Arab world had failed the test of time, and that reform should not be postponed. "Enough excuses," he said.
Saying one thing, and doing another, was the order of the day. The US -- represented by congressmen and important figures from the administration -- were clearly irked by the participants' very vocal criticisms of American policy, and well-articulated doubts about US intentions. While claiming to have the region's best interests in mind, the US's harsh rejection of the Dubai ports deal was brought up again and again as an example of US double standards and bias against Arabs and Muslims. Participants were clearly saying that rhetoric would not improve Washington's image in the region; only changing its policies could have that effect.
Locally, state-affiliated media's exaggerated coverage was also symbolic of this same reality gap. While newspapers and TV stations were constantly promising that the conference would bring forth superb results, Gamal Mubarak, head of the ruling party's Policies Committee, made clear that the conference was not actually about signing deals on projects, but more about "dialogue learning from other peoples' experiences, attracting new companies and opening new markets; basically, coming up with a new approach of dealing with the world."
If anything, the gap between promises and reality was perfectly symbolised by the fact that the conference was taking place in the air-conditioned Sharm El-Sheikh congress centre with its glazed soundproof windows, an isolated locale far removed from the harsh day-to-day struggles of the region's ordinary citizens. Sometime soon, we may find out whether the participants, who for the most part ignored Sharm's sunny beaches, were paying enough attention to grim facts on the ground.
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