WEF President Highlights Saudi Arabia's Development, Economic Ambition

 President of the World Economic Forum Borge Brende speaks during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024. (Reuters)
President of the World Economic Forum Borge Brende speaks during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024. (Reuters)
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WEF President Highlights Saudi Arabia's Development, Economic Ambition

 President of the World Economic Forum Borge Brende speaks during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024. (Reuters)
President of the World Economic Forum Borge Brende speaks during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024. (Reuters)

President of the World Economic Forum (WEF) Borge Brende expressed on Sunday his appreciation to the government of Saudi Arabia for hosting the WEF's special meeting under the theme "Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy for Development."

During a speech at the special WEF meeting in Riyadh, Brende highlighted the developments witnessed by Saudi Arabia in recent years, which reflect its global economic ambition, reported the Saudi Press Agency.

He stressed the importance of finding solutions to address economic challenges that boost international cooperation and discussed challenges, including energy shortages in some countries.

He stressed the importance of finding cooperative solutions to reshape the future of energy worldwide,

The forum has attracted participants from 92 countries and more than 500 companies, institutions, and non-profit organizations for discussions on achieving a sustainable future.



World Leaders Descend on Azerbaijan’s Capital Baku for United Nations Climate Talks

 Leaders arrive for a group photo at the COP29 UN Climate Summit, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP)
Leaders arrive for a group photo at the COP29 UN Climate Summit, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP)
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World Leaders Descend on Azerbaijan’s Capital Baku for United Nations Climate Talks

 Leaders arrive for a group photo at the COP29 UN Climate Summit, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP)
Leaders arrive for a group photo at the COP29 UN Climate Summit, Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan. (AP)

World leaders are converging Tuesday at the United Nations annual climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan although the big names and powerful countries are noticeably absent, unlike past climate talks which had the star power of a soccer World Cup.

But 2024's climate talks are more like the World Chess Federation finals, lacking the recognizable names but big on nerd power and strategy. The top leaders of the 13 largest carbon dioxide-polluting countries will not appear with their countries responsible for more than 70% of 2023's heat-trapping gases.

Biggest polluters and strongest economies China and the United States aren't sending their No. 1s. The four most populous nations with more than 42% of all the world's population aren't having leaders speak.

“It’s symptomatic of the lack of political will to act. There’s no sense of urgency,” said climate scientist Bill Hare, CEO of Climate Analytics. He said this explains “the absolute mess we’re finding ourselves in.”

On Tuesday, Azerbaijan’s president Ilham Aliyev, United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Türkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan are the headliners of among the nearly 50 leaders set to speak.

But there'll be a strong showing expected from the leaders of some of the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries. Several small island nations presidents and over a dozen leaders from countries across Africa are set to speak over the two-day World Leaders’ Summit at the COP29 conference.