Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, led on Sunday a Special Dialogue session at the World Economic Forum Special Meeting in Riyadh to discuss the current geopolitical and economic challenges facing the world, and the Kingdom’s steadfast efforts to expand global collaboration to help build a more resilient and integrated global economy.

Tackling the challenges of today’s geopolitical environment before global leaders from government, business and academia, Crown Prince Mohammed underlined the Kingdom’s commitment to acting as a stabilizing force in the region, noting that cohesion and cooperation with regional and global partners holds the key to achieving security and prosperity.

By building on decades of robust growth fueled by its energy exports, Saudi Arabia has created diverse opportunities for regional and global investors, providing a gateway to the Middle East and a bridge between developing and developed economies, he stressed.

He highlighted the Kingdom’s achievements under Saudi Vision 2030, noting that it continues to create transformative investment opportunities in emerging sectors across its evolving economy.

Moreover, he addressed the comprehensive set of reforms implemented in the Kingdom throughout the past eight years to enable the private sector to become an engine of growth, highlighting the growth of Public Investment Fund and its goal to become a trillion-dollar sovereign wealth fund.

Underscoring Saudi Arabia’s rapidly diversifying economy, Crown Prince Mohammed spoke of the Kingdom’s recent milestone: for the first time, Saudi Arabia’s current non-oil GDP represented more than 50% of the country’s total GDP in 2023.

He also emphasized the importance of investing in research and development, noting that such investment has propelled the growth of national companies, including ACWA Power, Ceer and Alat.

This creates a foundation for these companies to embed emerging technologies into their business models and further the growth of the sector in the Kingdom, he explained. It has also led to the rapid growth of the Kingdom’s digital economy at a rate three times faster than the global one.

Furthermore, Crown Prince Mohammed highlighted how Vision 2030 has touched every facet of life in the Kingdom, creating a flourishing civil society that is improving lives. He noted the vast improvements to quality of life, social mobility and inclusion, with women’s labor force participation having doubled since 2016.

Moving forward, the Kingdom’s global importance as a hub for transit, technology and trade will only increase, facilitated by new economic integration initiatives such as IMEC. Working with global partners, Saudi Arabia is building an economy of the future based on innovation, growth and opportunity, he stressed.

He reflected on Vision 2030 as a journey, not a destination, stating that Saudi Arabia has made significant strides but there is much more to do, creating compelling opportunities for collaboration, growth and development with its international partners.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah stressed on Monday the Palestinian people’s “inalienable right to the establishment of their own state.”

Such a demand must be met, he urged as he chaired the Arab Islamic-European meeting to support the two-state solution held in Riyadh.

The FM underscored the sincere desire to implement the two-state solution, adding that Israel was “still the only country going against international consensus calling for an end to the war on Gaza.”

He hoped European partners would be able to persuade Israel to turn to peace.

Moreover, Prince Faisal warned that the military approach will only serve extremists and inevitably cause instability in the region, while also warning that famine has become a reality for Palestinians in Gaza.

Furthermore, he condemned “the disregard for the most basic human values” in wake of the discovery of mass graves in the Nasser Medical Complex in Gaza where Israeli forces had carried out a large-scale operation.

The FM also warned of the danger of any potential military operation in Rafah, saying it will lead to a humanitarian catastrophe and will have dire repercussions on the region.

The Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, chaired the six-party Consultative Ministerial meeting with the United States in Riyadh on Monday.

The meeting focused on discussing the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip and the latest developments. The attendees emphasized the urgency of achieving an immediate and complete ceasefire to end the war while ensuring the protection of civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law.

They also deliberated on strategies to eliminate all impediments restricting the entry of humanitarian aid into all areas of the Strip to alleviate the humanitarian crisis.

Furthermore, the meeting addressed the efforts undertaken by the Arab Six-Party countries to support the international recognition of the Palestinian state, aiming to fulfill the aspirations of the Palestinian people for an independent and sovereign state based on the borders of June 4, 1967. The participants underscored the importance of taking irreversible measures to implement the two-state solution, in alignment with relevant international resolutions.

Among the attendees were Saudi Ambassador to the United States Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs Dr. Saud Al-Sati, Advisor to the Ministry Dr. Manal Radwan, and Director of the Arab Levant Department Mohammed Al-Harbi.

Also, other attendees included Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan Ayman Safadi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt Sameh Shoukri, Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Minister of Civil Affairs Hussein Al-Sheikh; and Secretary of State of the United States Antony Blinken.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan met on Monday with visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on the sidelines of a US-Gulf Cooperation Council meeting in Riyadh.

The ministers reviewed ways to strengthen bilateral relations and joint cooperation in various fields, the Saudi Press Agency said.

They also discussed developments in the Gaza Strip and the city of Rafah, and the importance of an immediate ceasefire, as well as the swift delivery of aid.

The United States has seen "measurable progress" in the humanitarian situation in Gaza over the past few weeks, Blinken said, but urged Israel to do more.
Speaking at the opening of the US-GCC meeting, Blinken said the most effective way to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza was to achieve a ceasefire.

He also said Washington continued efforts to prevent the Gaza war from expanding.

The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed the Kingdom's profound concern over the recent military escalation in Al-Fasher City of Sudan’s North Darfur area.

The Ministry reiterated in a statement issued on Sunday the Kingdom's call for all involved parties to abide by the outcomes of the Jeddah talks, which seek to serve the interests of the Sudanese people by hastening an agreement on a ceasefire and resolving the crisis through political dialogue.

Such measures are crucial to safeguarding Sudan’s unity and ensuring the security of its people and resources, said the statement.

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al-Saud has said that only a real commitment to a two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict can prevent the war in the Gaza Strip from reoccurring.

The Minister participated on Sunday in a session entitled “North to South, East to West: Rebuilding Trust,” at the World Economic Forum's (WEF) special meeting in Riyadh.

He highlighted the catastrophic situation in Gaza according to all humanitarian standards, indicating that the current events represent a complete failure of the international political system in dealing with the crisis.

“If we all agree that the Palestinian state and giving the Palestinians their right, is the solution that gives everybody what they need: security, stability, their rights, then we should all decide we’re going to invest all of our resources in making that happen,” he said.

“Today the crisis has entered its seventh month and we are still in an endless discussion about whether enough trucks are entering Gaza or not. It is unreasonable and completely unacceptable,” said the Foreign Minister.

He noted that most partners in the international community support the two-state solution. “We are not only focusing on resolving the current crisis, but rather we want to solve the broader problem of attaining a real commitment to the two-state solution.”

“That’s the only reasonable and credible solution that guarantees us from not having to come back to this same situation two, three, four years down the line.”

In response to a question about Saudi Arabia's role in the region, Prince Faisal stressed that the Kingdom focuses on spreading peace and security in the region and the world, and contributes to increasing economic growth, enhancing global cooperation, and innovation, in addition to preserving the climate and confronting all the challenges that the region and the world are experiencing.

Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud has met in Riyadh with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum's (WEF) special meeting.

The two leaders discussed Sunday fraternal relations between the two countries and their growth, and development opportunities in various fields. They also exchanged views on regional and international issues.

Also Sunday, the Crown Prince met with Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al Sudani.
They discussed bilateral relations, ways to develop them, and several issues of common interest.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah chaired in Riyadh on Sunday the meeting of the Ministerial Committee assigned by the Joint Arab-Islamic Extraordinary Summit on Developments in the Gaza Strip.

The meeting discussed the mechanisms of intensifying joint Arab and Islamic work to reach an immediate end to the war on Gaza and ensure the protection of civilians by international humanitarian law.

It stressed the need to continue efforts aimed at international recognition of an independent Palestinian state to achieve the aspirations of the Palestinian people and sustainable and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid to all parts of the enclave.

The meeting discussed working on taking the necessary steps to implement the two-state solution and recognize the State of Palestine according to the June 4, 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.

It stressed that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territories. The gatherers expressed their categorical rejection of any attempts to displace the Palestinian people outside their land and any military operation in the Palestinian city of Rafah.

The ministers stressed the need for the international community to impose effective sanctions on Israel, including stopping the export of weapons to it, in response to its violation of international law and international humanitarian law, and the war crimes it is committing in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

The ministers also underlined the need to activate international legal tools to hold Israel responsible for these crimes. They also called for an end to Israeli settler terrorism.

Moreover, they voiced their concern over the measures taken against peaceful demonstrators in Western countries that are demanding an end to the war in Gaza and condemning the Israeli crimes and violations against the Palestinians.

The meeting was attended by committee members Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and FM Ayman Al Safadi, Egyptian FM Sameh Shoukry, Turkish FM Hakan Fidan, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation Hussein Ibrahim Taha, Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization and Minister of Civil Affairs Hussein Al Sheikh, and Minister of State at Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz bin Saleh Al Khulaifi.

Secretary-General of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Jasem Albudaiwi and Secretary-General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Haitham Al Ghais held on Sunday a meeting to discuss ways to strengthen the energy sector, particularly energy security.

The discussion was prompted by the rapid regional and international developments affecting global energy markets, aiming to boost the stability of global oil market prices.

The meeting took place during the World Economic Forum (WEF) Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth, and Energy for Development in Riyadh.

Various issues were discussed, with a particular emphasis on OPEC's role in supporting the global oil market. The officials also explored ways to bolster cooperation to serve their common interests, while reviewing the latest regional and international developments.

Albudaiwi commended OPEC's valuable efforts and its major and vital role in maintaining the stability and balance of oil markets. He also acknowledged OPEC's readiness to face future challenges in coordination with member states.

Foreign ministers from the six-party Arab Committee emphasized on Saturday during a high-level dialogue in Riyadh the necessity of ending the war on the Gaza Strip and reaching an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire.
The Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, chaired the ministerial consultative meeting of the six-party Arab Committee to discuss the developments of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Jordan, Ayman Al-Safadi; Minister of Foreign Affairs of Egypt, Sameh Shoukry; the Secretary-General of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Hussein Al-Sheikh; the Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President, Anwar Gargash; and the Minister of State at the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohammed Al-Khulaifi.
The ministers emphasized the necessity of ending the war on the Gaza Strip and reaching an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire ensuring the protection of civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law.
Recognition of a Palestinian State
They also emphasized the importance of irreversible steps towards implementing the two-state solution and recognizing the State of Palestine within the borders of June 4, 1967, with its capital in East Al-Quds (Jerusalem), in accordance with relevant international resolutions.
They stressed that the Gaza Strip is an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory and firmly rejected any attempts to displace the Palestinian people from their land or any military operations in the Palestinian city of Rafah.
Additionally, the ministers warned against the ongoing illegal Israeli actions in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, which undermine the two-state solution.
A Number of Meetings in Riyadh
An unnamed source told Asharq Al-Awsat Thursday that several meetings are expected to be held, under Saudi sponsorship, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum that will be held in Riyadh between April 28 and 29.
These will include a meeting of the Arab foreign ministers with the participation of US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and another meeting of the Arab ministers with European Union countries.
The foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council will also hold a meeting with their American counterpart next Monday.
Recognition of the Palestinian state is one of the main topics on the agenda of the meetings, added the source.
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan revealed on Monday that talks have begun to circulate within the corridors of the European Union toward recognizing the Palestinian state.
Blinken’s Seventh Visit
Antony Blinken, the US Secretary of State, is visiting the region for the seventh time since the outbreak of the war in Gaza.
He is expected to meet with Arab and regional officials, in addition to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, according to the source.