The President of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Mr. Borge Brende, took part in an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to explore opportunities for enhanced cooperation between the Kingdom and WEF. During the visit, Mr. Brende discussed regional and global economic developments and areas of common interest with representatives from the government, public and private sectors. He also toured the historic At-Turaif District. The WEF President's visit followed the Kingdom's successful participation at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2023 in January, with a high-level delegation led by Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Minister of Foreign Affairs. The delegation focused on bridging global divides and facilitating near-term stability while driving long-term transformation. During the Annual Meeting, the Kingdom – represented by King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) – signed a Letter of Intent with WEF to establish a new accelerator program catalyzing innovation in Saudi Arabia. The Saudi delegation also highlighted the Kingdom's role as a Pioneering Partner in the Global Collaboration Village, aimed at leveraging the metaverse to serve the global community. In collaboration with UpLink, WEF's open innovation platform, the Ministry of Economy and Planning announced the launch of the Food Ecosystems in Arid Climates Challenge, designed to crowdsource transformative solutions for food security in countries impacted by low rainfall, drought and desertification. The Ministry of Economy and Planning also joined WEF's Jobs Consortium – a coalition of CEOs, international organizations, ministers and other leaders aiming to promote a better future of work for all by enabling job creation and job transition.
