1,000 government, business and civil society leaders to gather in Riyadh

With geopolitical upheavals and complex economic challenges destabilizing a fractured world, the World Economic Forum Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy for Development will convene in Riyadh, 1,000 global leaders from 92 countries on 28-29 April, to support global dialogue and find actionable, collaborative and sustainable solutions to shared global challenges.

Building on the inaugural Growth Summit, held in Switzerland last year, the meeting will promote forward-thinking approaches to interconnected crises, while remaining realistic about shorter-term trade-offs. It will work to bridge the growing North-South divide on issues such as emerging economic policies, the energy transition and geopolitical shocks.

“With geopolitical tensions and socio-economic disparities deepening divides globally, international collaboration and purposeful dialogue has never been more urgent,” said Børge Brende, President, World Economic Forum. “The Special Meeting 2024 provides an opportunity for leaders from across sectors and geographies to turn ideas into action and unlock scalable solutions to the many interconnected challenges we face.”

“At this global inflection point, revitalizing international collaboration has never been more important. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the World Economic Forum has chosen an established and dynamic global platform for thought leadership, solutions and action, as the host of a critical meeting – at such a critical moment,” said Faisal F. Alibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning of Saudi Arabia.

“To this end, Saudi Arabia is mobilizing 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 we are committed to meeting this moment with a determination to co-author a shared future that is secure, stable and sustainable.”