Instead of hoped-for photo ops in opulent palaces, this year's summit is mostly virtual due to Covid-19, dealing a blow to the Saudi crown prince's ambitions in a year of global economic downturn, Reuters reports.
Though circumstances are far from ideal, “the show must go on, and Saudis have to make the most of the meeting”, said Robert Mogielnicki, a resident scholar at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington.
Top of the Group of 20 major economies' agenda is a Covid-19 action plan and measures to stem the pandemic's impact on global economies, including debt relief for the poorest countries.
