Saudi Arabia hands over G20 presidency to Italy as Riyadh summit concludes

1 / 5
In his closing remarks to the G20 Riyadh summit, King Salman said although it was the first time Saudi Arabia had held the presidency, it was able “to rise to the challenge” amid the pandemic. (Arab News photo by Basheer Saleh)
Short Url
Updated 24 November 2020
Follow

Saudi Arabia hands over G20 presidency to Italy as Riyadh summit concludes

  • Italy assumes forum’s annual rotating presidency following successful completion of Riyadh summit
  • Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte says Italy will continue the forum’s focus on people, planet and prosperity

RIYADH: Following the successful completion of the G20 Summit in Riyadh on Sunday, Italy assumed the forum’s annual rotating presidency from Saudi Arabia during a ceremonial handover.

The two-day summit, the 15th meeting of the forum, brought together leaders of economies that account for about 85 percent of global gross domestic product to discuss the most challenging socioeconomic issues.

Saudi Arabia’s King Salman formally handed over the G20 presidency to Italy, which will chair next year’s leaders’ summit.

Delivering a short speech to mark the occasion, Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said a decision had been taken that the focus of the world’s premier forum for economic cooperation would continue to be “people, planet and prosperity.”




Saudi Arabia's King Salman delivering an address during the second session of the G20 summit, held virtually due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, in Riyadh. (AFP Photo / Saudi Royal Palace / Bandar Al-Jaloud)
​​​​

He told fellow G20 leaders on the concluding day of the summit: “In order to achieve a safe and sustainable world, we must first restore the balance between people and nature. On this basis, we will then support economic recovery, advance women’s empowerment, and address poverty and inequalities, both new and old, so that no one is left behind.”

The G20 will “facilitate energy transition and combat climate change, tap the immense opportunities stemming from digitalization and enhance the multilateral trade system, based on the principles of transparency, non-discrimination and inclusivity, in order to adopt a true and efficient multilateral approach,” he added.

Conte underscored the importance of a joint effort to move to a better future. “The goal would only be attainable if we work together, united as a global community of intentions, cooperation and solidarity,” he said.

“If there is a very clear lesson we have learned in these recent months, it is that no country can win global challenges alone. This pandemic has clearly shown that we cannot do this alone,” he added.

“In today’s world, which is so interconnected and interdependent, multilateralism is not one of the many options — it is the only sustainable option.”




 Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte attending the virtual summit. (Twitter photo)

Conte said he is confident that Italy can rely on the support of all G20 member states during its presidency, which will culminate in the 2021 G20 Leaders’ Summit on Oct. 30-31 in his country.

The G20 presidency rotates between member countries. Each presidency typically concludes with the G20 Leaders’ Summit, a powerful gathering of heads of state that made its debut in 2008. Saudi Arabia became the first Arab country to assume the role in December 2019.

The normal G20 calendar was changed due to restrictions put in place across the forum’s membership in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Leaders and ministers held virtual meetings since March to coordinate the international response to the crisis and put the global economy on a pathway to recovery.

In his closing remarks at the end of the summit in Riyadh, King Salman said G20 countries have succeeded in sending a message of hope and reassurance to their citizens and the global community.

IN NUMBERS

  • $11 TRILLION - Combined G20 support for individuals, businesses during pandemic.

Referring to the final statement, he said: “It is my honor to announce that the G20 members have adopted this communique. This is what the world has been expecting from us. This achievement today is a culmination of our joint efforts throughout this challenge-fraught year.”

He added: “Our joint and individual actions will be critical in overcoming the immediate global challenge we are facing. Looking forward, through empowering people, safeguarding the planet and shaping new frontiers, we will work on laying the foundations to achieve the main theme of our presidency: Realizing opportunities of the 21st century for all.”

King Salman said the G20 countries have upheld their commitment to working together to confront the pandemic and to safeguard lives and livelihoods. 

“We have adopted important policies that will achieve recovery all the way to an economy that is resilient, sustainable, inclusive and balanced,” he added.

“These policies will also maintain the momentum to make the global trade system work for all, and create the conditions to achieve sustainable growth.”

King Salman said although it was the first time Saudi Arabia had held the presidency, it was able “to rise to the challenge” amid the pandemic with the support of member countries.

“Due to its unique stature regionally and internationally, interconnecting three continents and lying at the intersection of emerging and developed markets, the Kingdom will continue to play a key role within the G20 to achieve global cooperation and find solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges,” he added.

The summit’s final statement said: “We, the G20 leaders, meeting for the second time under the Saudi presidency, stand united in our conviction that coordinated global action, solidarity, and multilateral cooperation are more necessary today than ever to overcome the current challenges and realize opportunities of the 21st century for all by empowering people, safeguarding the planet, and shaping new frontiers.”




In his closing remarks to the G20 Riyadh summit, King Salman said although it was the first time Saudi Arabia had held the presidency, it was able “to rise to the challenge” amid the pandemic. (Arab News photo by Basheer Saleh) 

The G20 leaders also promised to “spare no effort” to ensure the fair distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and medicines worldwide.

“We are taking immediate and exceptional measures to address the COVID-19 pandemic and its intertwined health, social and economic impacts, including through the implementation of unprecedented fiscal, monetary and financial stability actions,” the statement said.

“We recognize the role of extensive immunization as a global public good. We commend the Saudi presidency for initiating discussions on the need for long-term solutions to address gaps in global pandemic preparedness and response.”

Along with tackling the pandemic, the statement called for protecting the planet and continuing to act against climate change.

“Preventing environmental degradation, conserving, sustainably using and restoring biodiversity, preserving our oceans, promoting clean air and clean water, responding to natural disasters and extreme weather events, and tackling climate change are among the most pressing challenges of our time,” the statement said.

During the Saudi presidency of the G20, 170 meetings were conducted involving ministers of finance, trade and investment, health, education, energy, climate, anti-corruption, agriculture, environment, employment, tourism, digital economy, water and foreign affairs.

In addition, civil society and business groups were represented by eight engagement groups: Business 20, Youth 20, Labour 20, Think 20, Civil 20, Women 20, Science 20 and Urban 20.

They held eight summits and issued eight final statements with a view to bringing civil society and private sector views to the policymaking table.

_______________________

Twitter: @LujainBenGassem


KSrelief distributes thousands of food baskets worldwide

KSrelief has delivered thousands of food parcels to some of the world’s most vulnerable people. (SPA)
Updated 16 March 2025
Follow

KSrelief distributes thousands of food baskets worldwide

  • Etaam project aims to distribute 390,109 food parcels across 27 countries during Ramadan

RIYADH: Saudi aid agency KSrelief has delivered thousands of food parcels to some of the world’s most vulnerable people, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Sunday.

In Nigeria, KSrelief distributed 334 food baskets to families in need in the Adamawa state as part of the Etaam Ramadan food basket distribution project.

In Mauritania, 220 food parcels benefited 1,320 people in the Tiaret district. Somalia received 1,390 baskets for families in the Sool and Sanaag regions, benefiting 8,340 people.

Bangladesh saw 300 parcels distributed in the Barguna district, benefiting 1,500 individuals.

In Romania, 150 baskets were provided to families in Bucharest and Constanţa, while in Montenegro, 250 parcels were given to families in Rozaje and Bijelo Polje.

In Niger, 700 baskets were distributed in the Tillaberi Region, benefiting 4,900 people. South Africa received 450 parcels for families in Johannesburg.

Now in its fourth phase, the Etaam project aims to distribute 390,109 food parcels across 27 countries during Ramadan, benefiting 2.3 million people at a cost of over SR67 million ($17.8 million).


Paramedics resuscitate pilgrim in Grand Mosque within two minutes

Updated 16 March 2025
Follow

Paramedics resuscitate pilgrim in Grand Mosque within two minutes

  • The patient was then transferred to a nearby medical facility to follow up on his condition and receive further care

RIYADH: Paramedics resuscitated a pilgrim within two minutes of a reported cardiac arrest at Makkah’s Grand Mosque on Saturday.

Authorities received a report at 4:06 p.m. of an Algerian pilgrim in his 60s who had fallen unconscious in the outer courtyards of the mosque.

Ambulance teams immediately attended the patient and used an electrical defibrillator and chest compression device to resuscitate him, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

The patient was then transferred to a nearby medical facility to follow up on his condition and receive further care.

The quick response time was thanks to a plan that the Saudi Red Crescent Authority in Makkah had put in place in preparation for Ramadan, according to the SPA.

The holy month tends to be an especially busy period with visitors performing the Umrah pilgrimage.

There have been 242 instances in which emergency cases were transported from the courtyards of the Prophet’s Mosque to medical centers during Ramadan.

The Madinah Cardiac Center has performed open-heart surgery and seven cardiac catheterizations on Umrah pilgrims from five countries during the first half of Ramadan.

The Madinah Health Cluster, which includes hospitals and clinics in the region, also provided medical and emergency services to 23,014 people from more than 70 countries during Ramadan.


Saudi-led project clears 484,949 mines, explosive devices in Yemen 

Updated 16 March 2025
Follow

Saudi-led project clears 484,949 mines, explosive devices in Yemen 

RIYADH: A Saudi-led humanitarian initiative in Yemen has seen a milestone 484,949 land mines and unexploded ordnance cleared since the start of the project in 2018, according to a recent report.

These include 323,793 items of unexploded ordnance, 146,207 anti-tank mines, 8,200 improvised explosive devices, and 6,749 anti-personnel mines, according to Ousama Al-Gosaibi, the project’s managing director.

Project Masam, overseen by the Kingdom’s aid agency KSrelief, continues to remove deadly devices laid in the war-torn country by the Houthis.

Last week, the project’s special teams destroyed 515 items of unexploded ordnance, 25 anti-tank mines, five anti-personnel mines, and three improvised explosive devices.

Explosives planted indiscriminately by the Houthis across Yemen pose a threat to civilians, including children, women, and the elderly.

Project Masam is one of several initiatives undertaken by Saudi Arabia on the orders of King Salman to help the Yemeni people, clearing routes for humanitarian aid to reach the country’s citizens.

Demining operations took place in Marib, Aden, Jouf, Shabwa, Taiz, Hodeidah, Lahij, Sanaa, Al-Bayda, Al-Dhale, and Saada.

The initiative trains local demining engineers and provides them with modern equipment. It also offers support to Yemenis injured by the devices.

About 5 million people have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the conflict in Yemen, many of them displaced by the presence of land mines.

Masam teams are tasked with clearing villages, roads, and schools to facilitate the safe movement of civilians and the delivery of humanitarian aid.


New bus routes launched to serve Diplomatic Quarter

Updated 16 March 2025
Follow

New bus routes launched to serve Diplomatic Quarter

  • New bus routes will run from the King Saud University Station to the Diplomatic Quarter daily

RIYADH: The public bus network in Riyadh has been extended to serve the city’s Diplomatic Quarter, which houses many of the foreign embassies in the capital.

New bus routes will run from the King Saud University Station to the Diplomatic Quarter daily starting from 6:30 a.m. and ending at midnight.

The full schedule can be found on the Darb application for public transport.

The new routes come as the Royal Commission for Riyadh City continues its efforts to expand the public transport network in the city.

As well as the high-profile launch of the Riyadh Metro in December 2024, which now has six lines covering an area of more than 176 km, the commission is also working to expand the bus network.

There are now more than 2,860 bus stops and stations in the city, covering a total length of 1,905 km with a daily capacity of 500,000.


Saudi Arabia now 66 percent self-sufficient in grape production: MEWA 

Updated 16 March 2025
Follow

Saudi Arabia now 66 percent self-sufficient in grape production: MEWA 

  • National production in 2023 exceeded 122,000 tonnes
  • 7.13 million grapes planted in over 4,720 hectares of land 

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia's grape production surpassed 122,000 tonnes in 2023, reflecting the growth of the local agricultural sector and its ability to meet a big portion of market demands, the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported Saturday.

The figure accounts for 66 percent of current market demand in the Kingdom, said the report, citing a statement by the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture, or MEWA.

MEWA said more than 7.13 million grape plants, with more than 6.1 million bearing fruit. 

Grape farming is considered profitable because of the ease of cultivation in various soils with minimal water requirements and the plant’s adaptabilty to various climates in the Kingdom. (SPA)

In a separate report last year, the ministry reported a grape production area of 4,720 hectares across the Kingdom.

The same report highlighted Tabuk as the top grape-producing region, yielding 46,939 tonnes annually, adding that Qassim, Hail, and Asir also contributed significantly to the national production.

Grape farming is considered profitable because of the ease of cultivation in various soils with minimal water requirements. The plant could easily adapt to various climates in Saudi Arabia. 

To encourage farmers to plant grapes, the ministry has assured its continuing efforts to support and empower them by providing modern technologies, such as smart irrigation systems and organic farming.

The ministry also aims to encourage increased local fruit consumption, saying that grapes are packed with nutrients, and have health benefits.

The harvest season for grapes is from June to September, the ministry said.