The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host a high-level World Economic Forum (WEF) Special Meeting that will focus on global cooperation, growth, and energy, on 28 and 29 April 2024 in Riyadh.
The new event is part of a landmark agreement between Saudi Arabia and the Forum. It is announced by Minister of Economy and Planning, Mr. Faisal Alibrahim, and World Economic Forum President, Mr. Børge Brende at the 54th Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
The gathering will convene more than 700 global leaders from the public and private sectors, international organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), academia, and civil society to foster dialogues between countries to revive international cooperation and address current challenges to growth and development.
Announcing the event, Mr. Alibrahim said that, “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Riyadh is becoming a global capital for progress and thought leadership on the critical topics of our time. The World Economic Forum Special Meeting in Riyadh will focus on global collaboration, growth, and energy. We believe this new platform will enable the World Economic Forum, the Kingdom, and our global partners to further engage in cooperative dialogues and find the right answers to the challenges we have at hand.”
Mr. Brende remarked that, “At a time of growing divides between developed and emerging economies, there is a pressing need to not only identify areas of shared interests but foster new, impactful partnerships. As a critical player at the intersection of many of the world’s economies, Saudi Arabia is uniquely positioned to work alongside both developed and developing markets to foster cooperation between the two, and help them reach their long-term commerce, energy, and finance goals.”
The WEF Special Meeting will provide a platform for global leaders to assess current challenges and propose transformative ideas to create a positive global impact.
According to the statement, “Following Saudi Arabia’s presidency of the G20 in 2020, and building on the long-standing partnership between Saudi Arabia and the World Economic Forum, this latest collaboration underscores the Kingdom’s commitment to continue shaping the future agenda, fostering international cooperation, and addressing global challenges.”
