Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, the Deputy Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources and honorary president of the Saudi Economic Society, has said the Kingdom — being the world's top exporter of oil, 12th in overall exports and 22nd in imports, in addition to being the largest economy in the Middle East — is an economic force with a major responsibility for the stability of the world economy. "That requires the Kingdom to follow a balanced petroleum policy and play a role in regional and international financial and trading organizations," he said at the Saudi Economic Society's 16th annual meeting, held here recently under the auspices of Vice Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Prince Sultan Bin Abdul-Aziz. "Its efforts so far," he said, have culminated in the Kingdom's admission to the World Trade Organization (WTO), according to a report carried by Saudi Aramco's website. Increasing job opportunities backed by a growing, more diversified economy was the backdrop for the meeting of the Saudi Economic Society, held at the King Fahd Cultural Center in Riyadh. The meeting's theme was “Financial Services in the Kingdom.” Its opening ceremony was also attended by Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz, the Minister of the Interior; Prince Salman Bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Riyadh region; and a number of princes, ministers and business leaders. --MORE
