Cooperation, Development and Energy: World Economic Forum begins in Riyadh

The special two-day meeting of the World Economic Forum under the patronage of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has started in Riyadh, in which more than 1,000 heads of state and policymakers, including Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, are participating.

According to Saudi Arabia’s official news agency SPA, the special session of the World Economic Forum is being held under the slogan of ‘Importance of energy for international cooperation and development’.

At the beginning of the meeting, Saudi Minister of Economy Faisal Bin Fazl Al-Ibrahim said, “I will urge all of you to have a deep discussion with each other and to go against the conventional wisdom, to be uncomfortable and have difficult negotiations.”

He further said that ‘through this clear dialogue we have to find a lasting solution. We have to hold ourselves accountable and ask ourselves what we can do in the next two days. Can we make things right or will we miss the chance to brighten the future?’

He said that we can take advantage of this opportunity to fulfill joint responsibilities in a collective capacity. Together, we can restore international cooperation and find new paths to development that will empower future generations.

‘There are moments in history that must be captured when everything is at stake. This is one of those moments.’

According to Arab News, the meeting was attended by Emir of Kuwait Meshaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, Prime Minister of Egypt Mustafa Kamal Madbouli, Prime Minister of Iraq Muhammad Sudani, Prime Minister of Jordan Bashar al-Khasauna, Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Pakistan Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, US Secretary of State Antony Blanken, EU High Representative Joseph Borrell, French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Stéphane Sjourn, German Foreign Minister Anna Lena Bierbock, British Foreign Minister David Cameron, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva, UN Senior Coordinator for Gaza Sigrid Kag and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stand out.

In the special session, seminars will be held on various topics with the aim of promoting global cooperation for sustainable development, new partnerships and joint tackling of various economic and geopolitical challenges.

According to Pakistan’s official news agency APP, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif arrived in Saudi Arabia’s capital Riyadh on Saturday to attend a special session of the World Economic Forum.

According to Pakistan’s official media, he was received by the Deputy Governor of Riyadh Region, Prince Muhammad bin Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Aziz at the Royal Airport of Riyadh.

According to a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s House, Shahbaz Sharif was invited to attend the meeting by Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the founder and chief executive of the World Economic Forum, Klaus Schwab.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif meeting with President of Islamic Development Bank

Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif has met President Islamic Development Bank Dr. Muhammad Sulaiman Al Jasir on the sidelines of the special session of the World Economic Forum.

According to the statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, the meeting reviewed the progress of various projects of the Islamic Development Bank in Pakistan.

The statement said that the Prime Minister thanked the Islamic Development Bank for the investment of one billion US dollars in various projects by the Islamic Development Bank during his previous regime.

According to the statement, it was agreed to complete the various ongoing projects of the Islamic Development Bank in Pakistan as soon as possible.

On this occasion, President of Islamic Development Bank Dr. Muhammad Salman Al Jasir said that Pakistan is a founding member of Islamic Development Bank and is a very important member.

Last day, the adviser of the Saudi Royal Court and the general secretary of the Saudi-Pakistan Supreme Coordination Council, Muhammad bin More Al-Tawijri, said in a meeting with the Prime Minister of Pakistan that work has been started on a war footing in Saudi Arabia to invest in Pakistan. Both public and private sector investment will be involved.

According to Pakistan’s official news agency Associated Press of Pakistan, this was said by Muhammad Bin More Al-Tawaijri, who is also in charge of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, in a meeting with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, on Saturday. It happened after the Chief Executive arrived in Riyadh.

In the meeting, ways to strengthen economic relations between the two countries were discussed and extraordinary enthusiasm was expressed for further development of economic relations.

In the meeting, the progress on Saudi investment in Pakistan during the recent visit of the delegation led by the Saudi Foreign Minister was also reviewed.

Al-Tawaijri and his delegation expressed deep interest in Saudi investment on behalf of the Saudi government and companies in Pakistan and said that after the visit of the Saudi Foreign Minister to Pakistan, work on Saudi investment in Pakistan has started on a priority basis.

The statement said that the Prime Minister will present Pakistan’s stance on global health, financial technologies, information technology, comprehensive development, regional cooperation, and balanced use of energy in the context of global development.

The statement further said that on the occasion of the meeting, the prime minister is expected to hold bilateral meetings with important world leaders, heads of international organizations and other important personalities.

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According to the statement issued by the Foreign Office of Pakistan on Saturday, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb will be included in the Prime Minister’s delegation.

According to the statement, high-level participation in the forum will provide an important opportunity to present Pakistan’s priorities.

Earlier, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, said in a press briefing on Friday that the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Muhammad Salman, and the founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum, Prof. Klaus Schwab, have invited Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif for a visit.

“Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar will visit Saudi Arabia to attend the special session of the World Economic Forum, which will continue from April 28 to April 29 in Riyadh.”

Saudi Arabia is hosting a special session of the World Economic Forum (WEF).