The Saudi G20 Presidency and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) will hold a high-level virtual event on 30 September 2020 on "Enhancing Access to Opportunities in Arab Countries" to further the dialogue on enhancing access to opportunity, especially for a strong recovery following the COVID-19 pandemic. The event will be chaired by Mr. Mohammed Al-Jadaan, Saudi Minister of Finance, Dr. Ahmed Al-Kholifey, Governor of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority, and Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the IMF. The event will bring together Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors from Arab countries and heads of international and regional financial institutions as well as prominent scholars. The COVID-19 pandemic's disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups has reinforced the need to enhance access to opportunities for all, including in the Arab region. In July 2020, the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors endorsed, under the Saudi G20 Presidency, the G20 Menu of Policy Options to Enhance Access to Opportunities for All. This menu, together with a background paper on the topic produced for the G20 by the IMF and the World Bank, provides a valuable set of policy options that can support the immediate response to the COVID-19 pandemic and move economies toward a more resilient and inclusive recovery. The event will leverage the work done by the G20 and the IMF to further progress on inclusive growth in the region. The first session, including opening remarks by Mohammed Al-Jadaan, Saudi Minister of Finance, and Ms. Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the IMF, will be live-streamed at the following link: https://youtu.be/5EiHHU3rKUg. Further information about the G20, including the Presidency Agenda and full program of events, can be found at www.g20.org
