The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is hosting the first-ever special meeting of the World Economic Forum in the capital, Riyadh, which will discuss many important issues such as international cooperation, growth, and energy during the period 28th -29th April 2024.
This event is one of the outcomes of the cooperation agreement between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the World Economic Forum.
The Riyadh meeting will host more than 1000 participants, including international experts, opinion leaders, and thinkers, from international organizations, government sectors, academic institutions, and the business sector, to discuss current global challenges in the areas of development, within fruitful dialogues that enhance global cooperation and stimulate joint international efforts to innovate sustainable solutions.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Riyadh have become a global capital of progress and leadership of thought and public opinion on topics related to the global economy.
The special meeting of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh will focus on international cooperation, growth and energy, and this event will be a new platform that enables the World Economic Forum and global partners to discuss in constructive dialogues to find solutions to the challenges facing our world today.
The special meeting of the World Economic Forum, hosted by the Kingdom, will benefit from Riyadh’s central location as the capital of the largest economy in the Middle East, and its strategic location that connects it to three major continents. The meeting will also provide a forum for leaders and thinkers from around the world to discuss existing challenges and propose innovative solutions to create positive universal impacts for everyone.
For the first time in more than fifty years, the global economic community moves from Davos to Riyadh, which is hosting the first global meeting of the World Economic Forum under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.
In this special meeting, the Kingdom will bring together more than a thousand world leaders, including heads of state and leaders from the public and private sectors, international organizations, academia and non-governmental organizations, in order to address the most pressing global challenges.
This meeting comes after the issuance of the annual report of the Kingdom’s vision in its eighth year, and on the anniversary of its launch on April 25, 2016, which highlighted the huge development achievements achieved by the Kingdom at various levels, and therefore the special meeting will be an opportunity for participants to be informed of this progress made in the economic transformation strategy and business environment available to foreign investment.
The meeting agenda focuses on three basic pillars:
• International cooperation by achieving prosperity and developing societies, supporting comprehensive growth and building institutions capable of facing economic challenges, and building stronger institutions with the necessary capabilities to support comprehensive growth, through international cooperation on fundamental issues, and building more bridges of communication between governments, the private sector and various organizations. Enhancing the use and dissemination of Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies, and their impact on the quality of various aspects of life, and creating societies whose primary focus is human development and rebuilding confidence in international organizations.
• Growth by ensuring that investments are directed to achieving prosperous growth at various levels locally, regionally and globally, diversifying trade and investment networks to stimulate economic recovery and ensuring long-term sustainability, keeping pace with the needs of international communities for growth and the requirements of future labor markets, and developing sustainable economic models that encourage industrial growth and work to reduce emissions. carbon emissions, and providing comprehensive and sustainable paths for economic growth in countries around the world.
• Energy for development by achieving the ideal balance between global resources to reach a safe and sustainable future, doubling the efficiency of energy use and increasing investment opportunities in order to achieve international economic progress, driving progress towards a comprehensive practical transformation in the field of energy, and supporting transformative innovation and joint investments in the fields of energy.
On the sidelines of the special meeting, the Forum, in cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and Planning in Saudi Arabia, is hosting an open forum with the aim of facilitating dialogue between thought leaders and the broader public on a range of topics, including environmental challenges, the role of the arts in society, entrepreneurship in the modern era, and digital currencies. , artificial intelligence, smart cities, and mental health. It will provide an opportunity for students, entrepreneurs, young professionals and the general public to discuss these crucial issues.
Khalid Hamoud Alkahtani
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Republic of Sri Lanka