A high-level delegation from Saudi Arabia concluded its participation in the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2024 in Davos, culminating in an announcement that Riyadh will host a WEF Special Meeting on global cooperation, growth and energy, between April 28-29.
From January 15-19, the Saudi delegation, headed by Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs, participated in critical dialogues, bilateral and multilateral meetings to shape solutions to global challenges, to build the foundations for a more connected, resilient and thriving future.
The delegation included Princess Reema bint Bandar Al-Saud, Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to the United States; Dr. Majid Al-Kassabi, Minister of Commerce; Adel Al-Jubeir, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Member of the Council of Ministers, and Envoy for Climate; Khalid Al Falih, Minister of Investment; Mohammed Al-Jadaan, Minister of Finance; Abdullah Al-Swaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology; Bandar Alkhorayef, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources; and Faisal Alibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning.
Some of the highlight sessions in which the delegates participated included: "Securing an Insecure World"; "Frictionless Services"; "Gulf Economies: All In"; "Regulating Non-Banks"; "Bold Steps for a Sustainable MENA"; "Resilience: What It Means and What to Do About It"; "Supply Chains of the Future"; "Investors of First Resort: Government Inc."; "The Future of Banking and Technology in Saudi Arabia: What it Means for Investors"; "MENA’s Economic Dilemma: Reforms Amid Uncertainty"; and a special WEF panel session on "Saudi Arabia: The Course Ahead", which focused on the Kingdom’s leading role in promoting peace, security and prosperity in the Middle East.
The Kingdom’s delegation also launched the Saudi House: Bold Visions Series, which convened change-makers, policymakers, and innovators to engage in dialogues focused on the solutions needed across key areas of economic development including the blue economy, tourism and technology investments.
The WEF Special Meeting in Riyadh is part of a landmark agreement between Saudi Arabia and the Forum, set to convene more than 700 global leaders the public and private sector, international organizations, NGOs, academia and civil society to foster dialogues between countries towards reviving international cooperation.
On Thursday, the Kingdom signed two agreements with WEF’s innovation platform UpLink to catalyze innovative global solutions to today’s most pressing environmental and sustainability challenges. The agreements aim to foster innovation ecosystems around early-stage impact entrepreneurs to stimulate investments and support for breakthrough solutions that address critical sustainable development challenges including ocean degradation, biodiversity loss, and the circular carbon economy.
Another Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed to enhance cooperation between Saudi Arabia and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). The agreement focuses on a wide range of public policy initiatives in areas including the economy, corporate governance and sustainability.
