Istanbul: The Second Sharjah Award in Public Finance Forum officially commenced today in Istanbul, Republic of Trkiye. Organised by the Sharjah Award in Public Finance in collaboration with the Arab Administrative Development Organisation (ARADO) - League of Arab States, the forum is being held under the theme 'Public Finance in the Face of Global Crises: Strategic Visions - Present Challenges - Future Prospects' on 10-11 June 2026, bringing together a distinguished group of ministers, senior government officials, experts, academics, and specialists in public finance and economics from across the Arab world.
According to Emirates News Agency, the forum comes at a time of rapid global economic transformations and mounting financial and economic challenges facing governments worldwide. It serves as a high-level Arab platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange, and the sharing of experiences and best practices in public finance, contributing to enhanced preparedness among Arab countries to address global crises and support financial stability and economic sustainability.
The forum opened with an inaugural session featuring remarks by Dr. Nasser Al Qahtani, Director General of the Arab Administrative Development Organisation (ARADO) - League of Arab States, who stressed the importance of strengthening Arab cooperation and integration in the field of public finance. He highlighted the need to expand knowledge sharing among Arab financial and economic institutions to support the development of more efficient, flexible, and resilient financial policies capable of adapting to rapidly evolving global economic conditions.
Dr. Al Qahtani also underscored the importance of advancing public financial management systems, reinforcing governance and transparency principles, and leveraging successful regional and international experiences to develop balanced financial policies that meet development requirements while ensuring the optimal use of public resources, ultimately enhancing government performance and sustainable development across Arab countries.
Sheikh Rashid bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Director General of the Sharjah Finance Department and Secretary-General of the Sharjah Award in Public Finance, noted that the forum reflects the Award's commitment to its developmental and knowledge-sharing role in advancing public financial management and enhancing the efficiency of financial policies across the Arab world. He emphasized that the forum serves as a specialised Arab platform for decision-makers, experts, academics, and practitioners in public finance to exchange insights and successful experiences.
The opening session also included the recognition of a number of distinguished individuals and participating entities in appreciation of their contributions to the advancement of public financial management. The first plenary session, chaired by Dr. Nasser Al Qahtani, focused on strategic issues related to the impact of global crises on public finance and ways to strengthen governments' capacity to respond to current economic challenges.
Discussions during the session included insights from Dr. Samir Radwan, former Minister of Finance of Egypt, Professor Mansor Ibrahim, Dean of the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance, and Yasser Sobhy, Deputy Minister of Finance of Egypt. They addressed various aspects of fiscal policies, public debt sustainability, and the impact of crises on public finance, among other topics.
The forum will continue tomorrow with a series of specialised workshops covering several key topics, including improving the efficiency of public budgets and debt management, strengthening flexibility and financial response tools during crises, and examining the role of fiscal policies in mitigating the effects of global crises. The forum will conclude with a closing session presenting key recommendations and outcomes developed by participants, contributing to efforts aimed at advancing public financial policies and strengthening their sustainability across the Arab world.