‘Riyadh meeting was one of the most successful outside Davos’: WEF managing director

DAVOS: As the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting returns to the snowy peaks of Davos in Switzerland, attention is turning to what Arab delegations will bring to the discussions amid widening divisions between global powers.

In an interview with Arab News ahead of the forum, WEF Managing Director Maroun Kairouz said he hopes Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries will use their influence to “create momentum for dialogue and for breakthroughs.

“We have very strong participation from the (MENA) region this year, specifically on the aspect of diplomacy,” Kairouz said.

“(Saudi Arabia and GCC nations) are playing a distinct role because these countries have not taken sides … which puts you in a situation where you can mediate and facilitate dialogue. And that’s part of what we are hoping to do in Davos.”

This year’s forum, which opened on Monday, is set to feature one of the largest regional representations in years, including Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Tourism Minister Ahmed Al-Khateeb, alongside Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani.