Riyadh will host the World Economic Forum (WEF) Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth, and Energy for Development on 28 – 29 April, under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
At the two-day Special Meeting, Saudi Arabia will convene more than 1000 global leaders, including heads of state, government and thought leaders from across the public and private sector, as well as international organizations, academic institutions, and non-government organizations (NGOs) to address today’s most pressing global development challenges.
The sessions hosted at the WEF Special Meeting will promote productive dialogues to enhance global collaboration and stimulate collective international action to devise sustainable solutions in a world marked by growing social and economic disparities, as developed nations surpass pre-pandemic levels of activity, while emerging economies continue to play catch-up.
The Special Meeting will focus on three central themes, which include Global Collaboration, Growth, and Energy for Development. Under Global Collaboration, dialogues will explore how to overcome today’s geopolitical upheavals and challenges, especially with the mounting humanitarian crises in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, while looking to foster inclusive dialogues between the Global South and North.
On the topic of Growth, the Special Meeting’s deliberations will examine how the trends of transformation, innovation and economic policymaking are helping to create inclusive growth models through new investment frameworks, while looking to outline solutions to the deepening inequalities between developed and developing economies. And under Energy for Development, leaders attending the Meeting will focus on the need to achieve a net-zero future through an inclusive global energy transition.
The Special Meeting marks a continuation of the long-standing technical and policymaking collaboration between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the World Economic Forum, and builds on the impact of the Kingdom’s active participation and contributions at the Forum’s Annual Meetings held in Davos, Switzerland each year.
The agenda of the Special Meeting, which has been designed to revive the spirit of cooperation and collaboration, includes several panel discussions, workshops, and networking opportunities, and represents a unique convergence of global leaders and experts committed to forging a path towards a more resilient, sustainable, and equitable world.
The choice of Riyadh as the host for the WEF Special Meeting is a testament to Saudi Arabia’s convening power, and its global role in fostering international cooperation and collaboration. Since the launch of Saudi Vision 2030, Riyadh has emerged as a global capital and platform for thought leadership and action, innovation, and solutions that deliver worldwide impact.