WEF25: Saudi delegation calls for nations to put “greater good” first

The international community must prioritize cooperation and dialogue to overcome the challenges of a fragmented world, the Saudi delegation to the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 said today.

Calling for global collaboration to shape a prosperous future, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, His Highness Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah, said: “When we prioritize the greater good over narrow interests, we can work towards something that delivers for all of us. And although we will face difficult challenges this year, and in the years to come, I have to hope that we will all, as the global community, focus on working together on solving problems.”

Discussing global trade, His Excellency Dr. Majid A. Alkassabi, Minister of Commerce, said: “We need to have a new global trade book, we need to find alternative sources of supply to reduce the risk from high-risk regions.”

Turning to travel, His Excellency Ahmed A. Al-Khateeb, Minister of Tourism, commented: “With Saudi Vision 2030, we decided to unlock all sectors, including travel and tourism. We are building destinations, airports and new airlines, and we are looking into the tourism experience, end-to-end.”

On today’s environmental imperatives, His Excellency Adel A. Aljubeir, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Member of the Council of Ministers and Envoy for Climate, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, said: “Saudi Arabia launched the Middle East Green Initiative to bring together 22 countries in our region, to help them adopt a circular carbon economy approach to deal with critical environmental issues.”

His Excellency Mohammed A. Aljadaan, Minister of Finance, said: “Saudi Arabia has focused on de-escalating in the region with real actions to strengthen stability and growth, and that paid off, and will continue to do so.”

Discussing the impact of artificial intelligence (AI), His Excellency Abdullah A. Alswaha, Minister of Communications and Information Technology, said: “The Kingdom has put the foundations for the AI development we are witnessing today, and we are working with global partners to create inclusive, innovative, and impactful AI for all.”

Outlining Saudi Arabia’s immense industrial potential, His Excellency Bandar Alkhorayef, Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, said: “We have been able to convert a desert into the largest industrial city that exports petrochemicals globally.”

Discussing the importance of diversifying sources of growth, His Excellency Faisal F. Alibrahim, Minister of Economy and Planning, said: “For the economy to detach itself from relying on oil inflows, the most efficient way to do that in the long-term is to create the space for the private sector to grow more dynamically.”