1,000 Global Leaders to Gather at WEF, Aims to Bridge Growing North-South Divide

KUALA LUMPUR, April 27 (Bernama) -- Some 1,000 global leaders from 92 countries will convene in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the World Economic Forum (WEF) Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy for Development.

WEF, to be held on April 28-29, 2024, aims to bridge the growing North-South divide and find collaborative solutions to shared challenges.

WEF in a statement said the special meeting would drive action-oriented dialogue on three key themes: Inclusive growth, energy for development, and global collaboration.

WEF president Børge Brende said the meeting provides an opportunity for leaders from across sectors and geographies to turn ideas into action and unlock scalable solutions to the many interconnected challenges faced by them.

"With geopolitical tensions and socio-economic disparities deepening divides globally, international collaboration and purposeful dialogue has never been more urgent,” he said.

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal F. Alibrahim said revitalising international collaboration has never been more important at this global inflection point.

He said the kingdom is mobilising its full diplomatic might to lay out a mutually beneficial path to prosperity for the intertwined destinies of the global community. 

"We are working to ensure that progress for one part of the world does not come at the expense of another and committed to meeting this moment with a determination to co-author a shared future that is secure, stable and sustainable," he said.

-- BERNAMA