The Dubai School of Government (DSG), a research and teaching institution focusing on public policy in the Arab world, today announced it will host a conference on ‘Best Practices in Entrepreneurship Policy’ (B-PEP) in Dubai for Arab-regional practitioners and scholars.

To be held from 19-20 November at the Convention Tower, Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, the conference is sponsored by the Legatum Institute, an independent research, policy, and advocacy organisation that promotes political, economic and individual liberty worldwide.

The event will bring together 35 thought-leaders, scholars and policy makers to identify entrepreneurship policy challenges, successes, and country-specific agendas for moving forward.

Dr. Dale Murphy, Director of Entrepreneurship at DSG and B-PEP conference organizer, said: “Entrepreneurship is a very powerful medium and — given the right commercial environment — it is the most effective development tool for creating jobs and value. Entrepreneurship in the region is experiencing a dynamic resurgence, with dozens of new ventures and initiatives being implemented to support them; yet, a number of policy impediments remain. This is a critical juncture for achieving the best-practices.

“We look forward to receiving diverse viewpoints during the panel discussions. Our aim is to explore various areas within the context of entrepreneurship and combine our efforts to assist policymakers and academics to build on these assessments. By hosting this conference, we seek to build a greater platform and drive innovation, individualism and enterprise that will contribute to our economies as a whole.”

Dalhia Khalifa, Senior Strategy Advisor at the World Bank-IFC; Rania Bikhazi, Senior Enterprise Specialist at ILO-Beirut; Nathaniel Heller, Managing Director of Global Integrity, and Prof. Rami Khouri of the American University in Beirut, are among the experts who will take the podium at the conference. Keynote speakers will include Fadi Ghandour, Founder and CEO of Amarex, and Chairman of Ruwwad Development, a region-wide corporate social responsibility initiative, and Steve Mariotti, Founder and CEO of the Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE).

Dr. William Inboden, Senior Vice President, Legatum Institute, said: “Having just published this year’s Legatum Prosperity Index (www.prosperity.com), which includes a special catego­ry on entrepreneurship and innovation as a driver of economic growth, we regard this conference as a strategic imperative and timely opportunity. Innovation and entrepreneurship are strongly related to a nation’s overall economic fundamentals as well as to the opportunity for citizens to choose their path to progress.”

The B-PEP conference in Dubai will additionally explore the vast gamut of reforms, scenarios, options and policies that impact young entrepreneurs today. It will also focus on the regulatory environment, best practices in family business, venture capital and angel investing, laws and regulations affecting social entrepreneurship, education policies, as well as policies to promote youth involvement.

Established in 2005 in cooperation with the Harvard Kennedy School, the Dubai School of Government is committed to the creation of knowledge, dissemination of global best practices and the training of policy makers in the Arab world. The school conducts various programmes that seek to promote good governance through enhancing the region’s capacity for effective public policy.

Live blogging of the event here.