WEF25: Saudi Ministers Discuss Economic Resilience, Regional Growth Opportunities
KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 (Bernama) -- Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Economy and Planning, Faisal F. Alibrahim has highlighted the Kingdom’s long-term approach to growth at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025 in Davos, Switzerland.
During a panel session on ‘The Future of Growth’, Minister Faisal said in a statement: “Saudi Vision 2030 is an example of bold leadership that has led us to plan with confidence, deliver with optimism, but also manage with prudence.”
Meanwhile, in another panel session titled ‘Diplomacy amid Disorder’, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah highlighted the Middle East’s potential to shape a prosperous future following the recent Gaza ceasefire.
Despite the region’s risk factors, he emphasised the region’s resilience and optimism, particularly with the progress seen in countries like Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza.
Prince Faisal expressed hope for a new chapter in the region, noting the stability of the Kingdom and other GCC countries despite challenges.
On the other hand, the Minister of Tourism, Ahmed A. Al-Khateeb, in a session titled ‘Travel and Tourism’s Role in Building Trust’, shared the success of the tourism sector, revealing that the Kingdom saw nearly 30 million international visitors in 2024, up from 10 million in 2019, stating: “Travel and tourism is contributing to building a diversified and more resilient economy.”
The WEF released a briefing paper with expert input from Minister Ahmed on ‘The Future of Travel and Tourism: Embracing Sustainable and Inclusive Growth’, exploring trends in the sector and the importance of cross-sector collaboration.
The Ministry of Tourism also released an Investor White Paper highlighting initiatives transforming the Kingdom's tourism sector under Vision 2030.
In addition, Salesforce has announced plans to open a regional headquarters in Riyadh, pledging to provide upskilling opportunities to 30,000 Saudi citizens by 2030, while also announcing a partnership agreement with IBM to open an artificial intelligence Innovation Center in the Kingdom.
-- BERNAMA
