Arab world takes centre stage at Davos

The Arab world took centre stage at the Davos forum on Friday with Jordan’s King Abdullah II and regional government chiefs addressing the global elite as Egypt marks the second anniversary of its revolution.The premiers of Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Tunisia and the Palestinian Territories discussed transformations in Arab countries.Abdullah’s speech comes after preliminary election results Thursday showed pro-regime loyalists and independent businessmen set to sweep a parliamentary vote in Jordan. The poll was touted as a focal point of pro-democracy moves by the king, but was shunned by Islamists who want wholesale reforms.Huge demonstrations were meanwhile held in Egypt Friday on the second anniversary of the revolution that ousted Hosni Mubarak and brought in an Islamist government.Answering a call from the secular-leaning opposition for mass protests, demonstrators made their way to Cairo’s iconic Tahrir Square after clashes with police on Thursday.Egyptian Prime Minister Hisham Qandil told reporters at Davos on Thursday that his country now needed to focus on its economy as the political transition was moving forward.“Two years ago the Egyptian people stood against the tyrant of Egypt, and in only 18 days they put down Mubarak and his regime and started a new era,” he told journalists.He said that following the election of Islamist Mohamed Morsi and a constitutional referendum, Egypt would have parliamentary elections in two or three months.“After that we have completed or ended the transition with all the democratic institutions in place. On the other hand, we have to big time work on the economy,” he said.UN leader Ban Ki-moon on Thursday used his trip to Davos to make a fresh appeal to members of the Security Council to overcome their divisions and find a solution to the civil war in Syria.Ban said it would be an “abdication” of the world body’s responsibilities if it fails to unify over the crisis that has claimed more than 60,000 lives.“It will be essential for the Security Council to overcome the deadlock and find the unity that will make meaningful action possible,” Ban told the annual gathering of the global elite at a Swiss ski resort.“The alternative -- letting the sides fight it out, resigning ourselves to Syria’s destruction with all its regional implications -- is too costly and unacceptable,” he added. “That would be an abdication of our collective responsibility to protect,” Ban said. “The world, and above all the Security Council, must uphold its responsibilities.”Europe has been at the heart of discussions in Davos this week, with British Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday insisting he was not turning his back on Europe after unveiling plans for a referendum on whether to continue Britain’s membership of the EU.European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi addressed the forum Friday, saying that while markets had stabilised, “much more” needed to be done to boost the economy of the eurozone after the three-year crisis in the single currency.Economists and business leaders also discussed ways to revive the global economy.