RIYADH: Ibrahim Al-Assaf, minister of state and member of the Cabinet, is leading the Saudi delegation attending the two-day Group of Twenty (G-20) Summit, beginning Friday in Hamburg, Germany.
On behalf of King Salman, Al-Assaf will lead the Kingdom’s delegation at the summit, SPA, the official news agency, said Thursday.
Notably, Germany is holding the presidency of the G-20 summit this year and Hamburg is hosting the annual summit, where more than 20 heads of state or government, as well representatives of international organizations, will meet and discuss economic and financial issues.
Hamburg is a major trade hub, with Europe’s third-largest port, cutting-edge architecture, a cosmopolitan atmosphere and a history of international relations.
The meeting assumes significance as a platform to set the economic agenda for the 20 major economies in the world, with the G-20 leaders discussing global economic growth, international trade and financial-market regulation.
This year’s summit will focus on ensuring stability, improving sustainability and accountability, addressing issues of politics, economics, finance, trade, employment and achieving goals of sustainable development.
“The G-20 summit will focus not just on growth, but on sustainable growth,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a video message available on the summit’s website.
That would be a win-win situation for everybody, she added.
The visiting Saudi delegation is also expected to sign agreements with the member countries to further enhance mutual cooperation.
The heads of the World Trade Organization, World Bank and International Monetary Fund have called on G-20 leaders to take “decisive actions” to deepen global trade integration.
Roberto Azevedo, Jim Yong Kim and Christine Lagarde said in a joint statement Thursday that too many trade barriers have been preserved and new ones created over recent years.
They wrote that “such policies can cause a chain reaction, as other countries adopt similar measures with the effect of lowering overall growth, reducing output, and harming workers.”
They said that one part of reinvigorating trade needs “is to remove trade barriers and reduce subsidies and other measures that distort trade.”
Trade is likely to be a contentious issue at the G-20 summit.
China, meanwhile, stressed the need for friendly economic cooperation with the US after recent comments from President Donald Trump suggested he may be reviving his criticism of Beijing’s trade practices.
Zhu Guangyao, a Chinese deputy finance minister, said before the start of G-20 meetings in Hamburg working together was a “win-win” situation.
He said: “China and the US have very practical economic teams, we all know that peace can bring win-win outcomes, while fighting will leave everyone the loser.”
He said the two countries have maintained close cooperation since meetings in April between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping and that China hopes to “follow the important consensus reached at the (April) Mar-a-Lago meetings at the upcoming meetings of the G-20 summit.”
— With inputs from AP
Al-Assaf leads Saudi delegation
Al-Assaf leads Saudi delegation
Experimental farm in Al-Lith looks into future of Saudi Arabian agriculture
- Research initiative reflects strategic transformation
JEDDAH: An experimental farm in Saudi Arabia’s Al-Lith Governorate is one of the research initiatives reflecting the strategic transformation taking place in the Kingdom’s agricultural sector.
The farm uses highly efficient, sustainable production models that combine scientific research with commercial application, contributing to strengthening the country’s food security system and the sustainability of water resources.
Located in the Ghumaiqa Center on an area of about 10 hectares, the cutting-edge farm is a testing platform for modern agricultural technologies that tackle the challenge of water scarcity.
The farm includes developed open fields and modern greenhouses, supported by smart irrigation encompassing drip and sprinkler irrigation alongside surface and subsurface technologies.
All the systems operate via smart controls that enable the monitoring of water consumption and ensure improved efficiency, thereby achieving a balance between agricultural production and water conservation.
The farm also uses treated and diluted low-salinity seawater.
It aims to diversify agricultural water sources, reduce reliance on freshwater, and open new horizons for agriculture in coastal and semi-arid environments.
The project represents a promising investment opportunity in the field of smart agriculture, enabling the development of commercially scalable production models, particularly for high-value vegetables and fruits, while reducing operational costs associated with water and energy, enhancing the economic feasibility of future agricultural projects.
In addition, the project contributes to transferring and localizing agricultural expertise, supporting local food supply chains, and creating an attractive environment for agricultural investment.
This aligns with Sustainable Development Goals and enhances the efficiency of the private sector in adopting innovative agricultural solutions.
Yahya bin Abdulrahman Al-Mahabi, the director of the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture office in Al-Lith Governorate, told the Saudi Press Agency that the project represented the future of agriculture in the Kingdom.
He explained that the vision was based on investing in technology, enhancing the return on water per unit, and integrating scientific research with investment opportunities.
Al-Mahabi spoke of the experimental farm as a modern, scalable and replicable model applicable in several regions of the Kingdom, particularly in coastal environments.
Al-Mahabi highlighted the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture’s commitment to supporting distinctive projects that contributed to achieving food security while developing rural areas and enhancing agricultural production efficiency, in line with the objectives of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.
