The G20 In Speech Of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) 40th Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 10, 2019. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) 40th Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 10, 2019. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS
TT

The G20 In Speech Of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) 40th Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 10, 2019. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS
Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman attends the Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) 40th Summit in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia December 10, 2019. Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS

The speech of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman last week highlighted the G20 priorities, focusing on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, growth of non-oil GDP, unemployment rate, digital competitiveness and protection of the environment.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman touched on the effects of the pandemic in the G20 member-states, explaining that Saudi Arabia was one of the top 10 countries in dealing with the economic consequences of the sanitary crisis.

He also expressed optimism that growth would accelerate with the end of the pandemic and the return to normal life.

The Kingdom will be one of the fastest growing G20 countries in non-oil GDP in the coming years, he noted.

During the speech, the Crown Prince pointed out that while unemployment increased in some of the G20 countries to about 20 percent, the Kingdom maintained its efforts to reduce the rate to 7 percent before 2030.

On the shift in technical progress, the Crown Prince underlined that the Kingdom achieved the first position in digital competitiveness at the level of the G20 over the past three years.

He also highlighted the protection of the environment as one of the main axes of the Saudi presidency of the G20.

The Crown Prince also said that Saudi Arabia adopted many initiatives for the next four years to raise the percentage of vegetation, revealing that the kingdom has massive plans to protect the world's environment as part of its G20 presidency.



Lebanon Former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh Arrested

Lebanon's Former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh speaks with AFP in an interview at his Beirut office. (AFP)
Lebanon's Former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh speaks with AFP in an interview at his Beirut office. (AFP)
TT

Lebanon Former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh Arrested

Lebanon's Former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh speaks with AFP in an interview at his Beirut office. (AFP)
Lebanon's Former Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh speaks with AFP in an interview at his Beirut office. (AFP)

Lebanon's former central bank governor, Riad Salameh, was arrested on Tuesday during a judicial hearing in the capital Beirut, a senior judicial source told Reuters.

Salameh has been charged with financial crimes including money-laundering, embezzlement and illicit enrichment. He denies all wrongdoing.

Salameh was Lebanon's central bank governor for 30 years until July 2023. In his final months as governor, Germany issued an arrest warrant for him on corruption charges.

He is being investigated in Lebanon and at least five European countries for allegedly taking hundreds of millions of dollars from Lebanon's central bank to the detriment of the Lebanese state and laundering the funds abroad.