Entrepreneurs are the engines of the economy. National development occurs through entrepreneurship. The success of the enterprise economy machine depends on the quality of its engine – that is, the process of allocating resources for the generation of productive and innovation-driven, rather than rent-seeking, undertakings. Only the most productive and innovation-driven enterprises will survive and grow in the face of increasing global competition.

The international mobility of talented youngsters helps countries, regions, and other territorial communities to close their productivity gap since it promotes entrepreneurship-led innovation, thereby creating "nations of entrepreneurs" driven by creativity, initiative, risk taking, discipline, and personal development.

The conference has been organized by the Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) - UAE and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) - USA.

HCT is establishing the Region’s premier Entrepreneurship Centre in the UAE, as well as organizing an Executive Development Program and this Conference, the second biennial series.

The HCT is the premier higher education institution in the UAE with 14 campuses and over 15,000 students.  The HCT is known in the region for being a pioneering provider of cutting edge learning and educational frameworks using the latest Information, Communication, Business, and Engineering Technologies to equip graduates with the skills required to meet the challenges of working in a globally competitive business environment.

MIT is one of the world’s outstanding universities focused on science, technology, and management and has a long-standing reputation for working closely with business and government. The MIT Sloan Fellows program - the world’s first university-based executive education program - was created in 1931.