Saudi House Pavilion to Debut at WEF AM25

This will be the second time Saudi House features at the WEF Annual Meeting
This will be the second time Saudi House features at the WEF Annual Meeting
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Saudi House Pavilion to Debut at WEF AM25

This will be the second time Saudi House features at the WEF Annual Meeting
This will be the second time Saudi House features at the WEF Annual Meeting

Saudi Arabia on Saturday announced the first-ever Saudi House pavilion for the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting, which takes place from 20-24 January 2025 in Davos, Switzerland. It will be the second time Saudi House features at the WEF Annual Meeting, and the first time it will host a standalone pavilion.
Hosted by the Ministry of Economy and Planning (MEP), Saudi House provides a platform where global thought leaders convene to discuss and dissect the challenges, opportunities and solutions defining the present and shaping the future of the global economy, according to SPA.
The global dialogues hosted at the Saudi House pavilion will also explore the impact of the social and economic transformation underway across the Kingdom, and the unprecedented opportunities to grow, innovate and invest in Saudi Arabia that continue to emerge under Saudi Vision 2030.
Set to host industry-leading entities from a broad spectrum of sectors to its dedicated space in Davos, the Saudi House pavilion marks a significant expansion of the Kingdom’s long-standing presence and participation at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting.
Alongside MEP, the entities represented and participating in Saudi House include the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Transport and Logistics Services, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, the Ministry of Tourism, the Ministry of Investment, the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, the Royal Commission of AlUla, the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA), the Saudi Tourism Authority (STA), the Research Development and Innovation Authority (RDIA), the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in Saudi Arabia (C4IR), and Diriyah Company.
Representatives from the Saudi entities will participate in more than 15 sessions, including 10 WEF-accredited sessions on topics including the future of the global economy, the future of trade and logistics, investment, aviation and sustainable tourism.
The 55th WEF Annual Meeting is taking place under the theme of “Collaboration for the Intelligent Age”, and will convene global leaders to explore how to address geopolitical shocks, stimulate growth to improve living standards, and steward a just and inclusive energy transition.
The 55th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum will convene the foremost leaders from government, business and civil society, as well as preeminent scientific and cultural thinkers. The Forum brings together representatives from more than 100 governments, major international organizations, and more than 1,000 major private sector players, in addition to young changemakers and representatives of civil society and academic institutions.



Saudi Arabia to Host World Economic Forum Global Collaboration and Growth Meeting in April

 The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Collaboration and Growth Meeting on April 22-23, 2026 - SPA
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Collaboration and Growth Meeting on April 22-23, 2026 - SPA
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Saudi Arabia to Host World Economic Forum Global Collaboration and Growth Meeting in April

 The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Collaboration and Growth Meeting on April 22-23, 2026 - SPA
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Collaboration and Growth Meeting on April 22-23, 2026 - SPA

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will host the World Economic Forum (WEF) Global Collaboration and Growth Meeting: "Building Common Ground and Reviving Growth" in Jeddah on April 22-23, 2026.

The announcement came during the closing day of the 56th Annual Meeting of the forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal Alibrahim confirmed the details of the regular high-level WEF meeting, announced at the 2025 WEF annual meeting, SPA reported.

In his closing remarks at the forum, the minister stressed the need for sustained dialogue to accelerate global growth, calling on participants to engage actively in the World Economic Forum's Global Collaboration and Growth meeting, set to take place in Jeddah in April.

He noted that the meeting will build on the momentum generated by the World Economic Forum's Special Meeting hosted by Riyadh in 2024, affirming that the Kingdom has emerged as a global capital of pragmatism and consequential decision-making.

President of WEF Børge Brende highlighted the forum's deepening engagement with the Kingdom. He said: "We are pleased to return to Saudi Arabia in 2026 to carry forward the conversations started at our annual meeting, creating space for leaders to work together, build trust, and ensure dialogue leads to meaningful collaboration and action."

The announcement of the Kingdom's hosting of the World Economic Forum Global Collaboration and Growth Meeting comes as a continuation of the significant success achieved at the forum's special meeting hosted by Riyadh in April 2024, reinforcing Saudi Arabia's position as a reliable international partner in promoting economic stability and enhancing cooperation between developed and developing economies to confront shared global challenges.


First SDRPY Oil Derivatives Grant Arrives in Yemen's Socotra

The shipment is part of a newly announced SAR1.9 billion economic support package comprising 28 development projects - SPA
The shipment is part of a newly announced SAR1.9 billion economic support package comprising 28 development projects - SPA
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First SDRPY Oil Derivatives Grant Arrives in Yemen's Socotra

The shipment is part of a newly announced SAR1.9 billion economic support package comprising 28 development projects - SPA
The shipment is part of a newly announced SAR1.9 billion economic support package comprising 28 development projects - SPA

The first shipment of the Oil Derivatives Grant from the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) arrived in Socotra on Friday.

The shipment will be providing fuel for electricity stations in Hadibu, Qalansiyah, Muri, and Alamah and eventually serving over 70 power plants across all Yemeni governorates.

The shipment is part of a newly announced SAR1.9 billion economic support package comprising 28 development projects.

According to SPA, under an agreement with the Yemeni Ministry of Electricity and Energy, SDRPY is providing 339 million liters of diesel and fuel oil valued at $81.2 million, purchased through the Yemeni petroleum company PetroMasila.

This initiative aims to stabilize the electricity sector and support vital infrastructure, including hospitals, schools, and airports, while stimulating economic growth.

The current grant follows previous Saudi fuel support totaling $180 million in 2018, $422 million in 2021, and $200 million in 2022.


EU to Suspend 93 billion Euro Retaliatory Trade Package against US for 6 Months

A container ship is seen at the loading terminal "Altenwerder" in the port of Hamburg, Germany, February 17, 2025. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer
A container ship is seen at the loading terminal "Altenwerder" in the port of Hamburg, Germany, February 17, 2025. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer
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EU to Suspend 93 billion Euro Retaliatory Trade Package against US for 6 Months

A container ship is seen at the loading terminal "Altenwerder" in the port of Hamburg, Germany, February 17, 2025. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer
A container ship is seen at the loading terminal "Altenwerder" in the port of Hamburg, Germany, February 17, 2025. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer

The European Commission said on Friday it would propose suspending for another six months an EU package ​of retaliatory trade measures against the US worth 93 billion euros ($109.19 billion) that would otherwise kick in on February 7.

The package, prepared in the first half of last year when the European Union was negotiating ‌a trade deal ‌with the United States, ‌was ⁠put ​on ‌hold for six months when Brussels and Washington agreed on a joint statement on trade in August 2025.

US President Donald Trump's threat last week to impose new tariffs on eight European countries ⁠over Washington's push to acquire Greenland had made ‌the retaliatory package a ‍handy tool for the ‍EU to use had Trump followed ‍through on his threat.

"With the removal of the tariff threat by the US we can now return to the important ​business of implementing the joint EU-US statement," Commission spokesman Olof Gill said, Reuters reported.

The ⁠Commission will soon make a proposal "to roll over our suspended countermeasures, which are set to expire on February 7," Gill said, adding the measures would be suspended for a further six months.

"Just to make absolutely clear -- the measures would remain suspended, but if we need them at any point in ‌the future, they can be unsuspended," Gill said.