RIYADH — Over a thousand global leaders convened in Riyadh for the two-day World Economic Forum (WEF) Special Meeting, where they called for clear paths to stability, prosperity, and inclusive growth amid escalating cross-border challenges. The meeting, which recorded the highest number of participants for a WEF event held outside its annual venue in Davos Klosters, Switzerland, served as a pivotal platform for major announcements across healthcare, technology, space, and sustainability sectors. Key international and Saudi figures engaged in candid dialogues across three themes: revitalizing international cooperation, a compact for inclusive growth, and driving energy for development. The evolving geopolitical challenges and global economic fragmentation set the context for these discussions. Significant initiatives announced included the Saudi Ministry of Health's memorandum of understanding with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to enhance global healthcare access and the announcement by Moderna's CEO, Stéphane Bancel, about an upcoming cancer treatment product. The Saudi Space Agency's upcoming launch of the Center for Space Futures, in collaboration with the WEF, promises to advance the global space economy dialogue. On the energy front, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Saudi Minister of Energy, emphasized the importance of an equitable energy transition. Meanwhile, Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Adel Aljubeir discussed critical geopolitical challenges and the path to enduring regional stability. WEF President Børge Brende and key figures like Mahmoud Abbas, Antony Blinken, and the incorrectly titled David Cameron underscored the significance of the Riyadh meeting. Bill Gates and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also contributed to the pivotal discussions on bridging health disparities.
