RIYADH: Prime Minis­ter Shehbaz Sharif on Sat­urday arrived in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to participate in a special meeting of the World Economic Fo­­rum (WEF) on ‘Global Collaboration, Growth, and Energy for Develop­ment, being held from April 28.

Deputy Foreign Minis­ter of Saudi Arabia Wale­­ed Al Khareeji, Pakistan’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia and embassy staff received the prime minister and his delegation at the Riyadh Royal airport.

The prime minister was invited to attend the WEF meeting by Saudi Prime Minister and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and WEF Founder and Executive Chairman Professor Klaus Schwab.

About 1,000 leaders from business, government, and academia will participate in the special meeting on Global Collab­oration, Growth, and Energy for Development, the WEF said in a press statement. The meeting, April 28–29, will focus on new pathways to reinvigorate growth globally amid the challenges posed by an increasingly fragmented geopolitical and economic environment.

It will revolve around three themes: revitalising global collaboration; a compact for inclusive growth; and catalysing action on energy for development, it was added.

The event bridges the growing North-South divide, which has further widened on issues such as emerging economic policies, the energy transition, and geopolitical shocks.

According to Foreign Office spokesperson, the premier accompanied by a high-level delegation inc­luding Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Finance Minister Moham­mad Aurang­zeb will participate in discussions on trade measures, new inv­e­stment frameworks, res­t­r­ucturing of supply chains, sustainable growth, and energy landscape.

Published in Dawn, April 28th, 2024