On the occasion of the inaugural Petra Conference of Nobel Laureates, HM King Abdullah of Jordan and Elie Wiesel hosted an exceptional gathering of Nobel prize-winners and world-renowned figures, among them, Ismail Serageldin, former U.S. President Bill Clinton and Hollywood actor and activist Richard Gere. The conference aimed at having some of the world's greatest minds seek solutions to such problems as poverty, disease and violence. Following an opening session with speeches by Jordan's King Abdullah and Elie Wiesel, participants discussed four key themes: peace and security; economic development and poverty; health and environment; education, media and culture. Recommendations from the meeting were then presented to political and business leaders at the World Economic Forum at the Dead Sea. Ismail Serageldin was the only Arab participant present besides a few high Jordanian officials.