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Who's Who in the Saudi G20

Who's Who in the Saudi G20
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Who's Who in the Saudi G20

Who's Who in the Saudi G20

The G20 Leaders’ Summit kicked off Saturday, bringing together leaders from the world’s leading economies to address global pressing issues.

The G20 Saudi Presidency has demonstrated determined and effective leadership in not only gathering the world leaders but also taking collective action that benefits the world.

The Saudi Presidency is led by His Majesty King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud as the Head of State, with the agenda and direction of the presidency held under his direction, supported by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud. Dr. Fahad Toonsi is the Secretary-General for the G20 Saudi Secretariat, tasked with the responsibility of overseeing and supporting the implementation of the G20 Presidency work this year.

The Sherpa Track is led by Dr. Fahad Al-Mubarak, who has been the G20 Saudi Sherpa since 2018. Under this track, ministers of the Kingdom chaired ministerial meetings related to socio-economic issues. The ministers include His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz Bin Salman Al Saud, who chaired the Energy Ministerial Meeting, Dr. Tawfiq Al Rabiah for Health, Dr. Majid Al-Qasabi, and Eng. Khaled AlFalih, who led the Trade & Investment Ministers Meeting. The Environment, Agriculture, and Water Ministers Meetings were chaired by Eng. Abdulrahman AlFadley, while Eng. Abdullah Al-Swaha chaired the Digital Economy Ministerial Meeting. Dr. Hamad Alshaikh chaired the education ministerial meeting and Eng. Ahmed Al-Rajhi chaired the one on labor and employment. Ahmad Al-Khatib chaired the meeting for Tourism Ministers, and Mazin Al-Kahmous led the discussions on the first-ever Anti-Corruption Ministerial Meeting under the G20. Her Highness Princess Haifa AlMogrin chaired the Development Working Group.

The Finance Track is led by Mohammed Al-Jadaan, Minister of Finance, and Dr. Ahmed Alkholifey, the Governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency. With their leadership, the working groups for the finance track focused on economic response to global pandemic including debt relief for developing nations, infrastructure, financial inclusion, economic growth, international financial architecture, and the global economy.

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Technology

Meta Criticizes EU Antitrust Move Against WhatsApp Block on AI Rivals

(FILES) This illustration photograph taken on December 1, 2025, shows the logo of WhatsApp displayed on a smartphone's screen, in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
(FILES) This illustration photograph taken on December 1, 2025, shows the logo of WhatsApp displayed on a smartphone's screen, in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
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Meta Criticizes EU Antitrust Move Against WhatsApp Block on AI Rivals

(FILES) This illustration photograph taken on December 1, 2025, shows the logo of WhatsApp displayed on a smartphone's screen, in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)
(FILES) This illustration photograph taken on December 1, 2025, shows the logo of WhatsApp displayed on a smartphone's screen, in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP)

Meta Platforms on Monday criticized EU regulators after they charged the US tech giant with breaching antitrust rules and threaten to halt its block on ⁠AI rivals on its messaging service WhatsApp.

"The facts are that there is no reason for ⁠the EU to intervene in the WhatsApp Business API. There are many AI options and people can use them from app stores, operating systems, devices, websites, and ⁠industry partnerships," a Meta spokesperson said in an email.

"The Commission's logic incorrectly assumes the WhatsApp Business API is a key distribution channel for these chatbots."

Business

Al-Rumayyan: PIF Investments in Local Content Exceed $157 Billion

Yasir Al-Rumayyan speaks to the audience in the opening speech of the Public Investment Fund and Private Sector Forum (Middle East)
Yasir Al-Rumayyan speaks to the audience in the opening speech of the Public Investment Fund and Private Sector Forum (Middle East)
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Al-Rumayyan: PIF Investments in Local Content Exceed $157 Billion

Yasir Al-Rumayyan speaks to the audience in the opening speech of the Public Investment Fund and Private Sector Forum (Middle East)
Yasir Al-Rumayyan speaks to the audience in the opening speech of the Public Investment Fund and Private Sector Forum (Middle East)

Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), announced that spending by the sovereign fund’s programs, initiatives, and companies on local content reached 591 billion riyals ($157 billion) between 2020 and 2024.

He added that the fund’s private sector platform has created more than 190 investment opportunities worth over 40 billion riyals ($10 billion).

Speaking at the opening of the PIF Private Sector Forum on Monday in Riyadh, Al-Rumayyan said the fund is working closely with the private sector to deepen the impact of previous achievements and build an integrated economic system that drives sustainable growth through a comprehensive investment cycle methodology.

He described the forum as the largest platform of its kind for seizing partnership and collaboration opportunities with the private sector, highlighting the fund’s success in turning discussions into tangible projects.

Since 2023, the forum has attracted 25,000 participants from both public and private sectors and has witnessed the signing of over 140 agreements worth more than 15 billion riyals, he pointed out.

Al-Rumayyan emphasized that the meeting comes at a pivotal stage of the Kingdom’s economy, where competitiveness will reach higher levels, sectors and value chains will mature, and ambitions will be raised.

PIF Private Sector Forum aims to support the fund’s strategic initiative to engage the private sector, showcase commercial opportunities across PIF and its portfolio companies, highlight potential prospects for investors and suppliers, and enhance cooperation to strengthen the local economy.

Sports

Australia Humiliated by Ecuador in Davis Cup Qualifier

Tennis - Davis Cup - Qualifiers - Ecuador v Australia - Quito Tenis y Golf Club, Quito, Ecuador - February 8, 2026 Team Ecuador celebrate winning the doubles match between Ecuador's Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo, and Australia's Rinky Hijikata and Jordan Thompson REUTERS/Cristina Vega
Tennis - Davis Cup - Qualifiers - Ecuador v Australia - Quito Tenis y Golf Club, Quito, Ecuador - February 8, 2026 Team Ecuador celebrate winning the doubles match between Ecuador's Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo, and Australia's Rinky Hijikata and Jordan Thompson REUTERS/Cristina Vega
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Australia Humiliated by Ecuador in Davis Cup Qualifier

Tennis - Davis Cup - Qualifiers - Ecuador v Australia - Quito Tenis y Golf Club, Quito, Ecuador - February 8, 2026 Team Ecuador celebrate winning the doubles match between Ecuador's Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo, and Australia's Rinky Hijikata and Jordan Thompson REUTERS/Cristina Vega
Tennis - Davis Cup - Qualifiers - Ecuador v Australia - Quito Tenis y Golf Club, Quito, Ecuador - February 8, 2026 Team Ecuador celebrate winning the doubles match between Ecuador's Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo, and Australia's Rinky Hijikata and Jordan Thompson REUTERS/Cristina Vega

Australia slumped to their worst Davis Cup result under long-serving captain Lleyton Hewitt, suffering a 3-1 humiliation away to lowly Ecuador in the first round of qualifiers on Sunday.

With Australia's number one Alex De Minaur opting out of the tie in Quito, the 28-times champions crashed out when Rinky Hijikata and Jordan Thompson were beaten 7-6(5) 6-4 by Gonzalo Escobar and Diego Hidalgo in the decisive doubles rubber.

Lacking a player in the top 200, Ecuador set up their unlikely triumph on home clay by claiming ⁠both the opening singles rubbers on Saturday.

Alvaro Guillen Meza downed Hijikata in three sets before 257th-ranked Andres Andrade shocked world number 86 James Duckworth, also in three, Reuters reported.

Ecuador next face Britain in the second round of qualifiers in September.

With De Minaur leading the charge, Australia reached back-to-back finals in 2022-23 and ⁠the semi-finals in 2024.

However, the Ecuador shock continues the team's decline following their failure to reach the eight-nation Finals in 2025, Hewitt's 10th year in charge.

India's Dhakshineswar Suresh won both his singles matches and partnered Yuki Bhambri to victory in the doubles as India beat Netherlands 3-2 in Bengaluru.

The 25-year-old held his nerve under immense pressure in the final rubber against Guy de Ouden to win 6-4 7-6 (4) and guide India to the second round of qualifiers ⁠for the first time since the new Davis Cup format began in 2019.

“It’s just a different feeling when you’re playing for your country,” Suresh, who has a world ranking of 470, told the Davis Cup website after the win. “You are not playing for yourself, you’re playing for the whole nation."

India meet South Korea in the next round in September after the Koreans defeated Argentina 3-2. The United States beat Hungary 4-0 while Britain also secured a 4-0 win over Norway and Canada beat Brazil 3-2.