https://arab.news/y9dgk
- Borge Brende says forum working with Kingdom on gender equality, skill acceleration and increasing competitiveness
- KSA can improve on issues related to tax system and red tape, says the former Norwegian FM
DAVOS, SWITZERLAND: The president of the World Economic Forum has welcomed the 鈥渟trong鈥� Saudi delegation to its annual meeting in Davos and lauded the reforms taking place in the Kingdom. Borge Brende also disclosed that the Geneva-based organization is considering taking the Middle East and North Africa regional summit, if it returns, to Riyadh.
鈥淲e really appreciate the strong delegation we have from 抖阴短视频 in Davos. We have seven key ministers, including the foreign minister and the finance minister, with us in Davos,鈥� he told Katie Jensen, the host of Arab News鈥� 鈥淔rankly Speaking,鈥� the video show which features interviews with leading policymakers and business leaders.
As a regular visitor to the Kingdom, Brende, a former foreign minister of Norway, outlined the major changes he has witnessed over the course of his visits.
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鈥淐ompared to when I visited the Kingdom for the first time decades ago, the situation for women now in 抖阴短视频 is very different,鈥� he told Arab News.
鈥淵ou see them driving. When you come to hotels or restaurants, you see women being a natural part of society. And we know that also at the universities, more than 60 percent of the students are women. This is very important, and I think this shows the new leadership.鈥�
Among other momentous changes underway in 抖阴短视频, Brende described the 鈥渋nvestments in diversifying the economy, the new technologies, and education and skills鈥� as important.
鈥淚 do see willingness to be very serious in investing the additional resources and revenues coming from the energy sector in diversifying the economy, and also building a very solid sovereign wealth fund,鈥� he said.
He sees parallels between what is happening in the Kingdom and the experience of his home country, Norway, which has used its sovereign wealth fund to invest in education and better conditions for industries.
鈥淭his will give a very solid foundation for the years to come when oil and gas revenues will peak. That money should be invested in diversification, education, skills, infrastructure and in the green transition that we will see happening in 抖阴短视频,鈥� he said, adding that 鈥渢he huge investment now in renewables and solar is unparalleled.鈥�
As for the role the Kingdom could play in the context of the economic changes underway in the region, Brende said: 鈥湺兑醵淌悠� needs to produce higher up in the value chain in the years to come, where also you inject more technology into the production.鈥�
He added: 鈥淭here are areas still where 抖阴短视频 can improve 鈥� the tax system and red tape. I know that the finance minister is very serious on this, and that collaboration is something that we would like even to take further.鈥�
Recalling his visit to the World Economic Center in Riyadh a year ago when the WEF opened its Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution in 抖阴短视频, he said: 鈥淚 am seeing so much progress when it comes to technologies.鈥�
He added: 鈥淲e have initiatives related to accelerating gender equality, which should be one of the next steps. We also have a skills accelerator where we have a playbook on how to also reskill and upskill people that are currently not in the educational system. We also have work on enhancing the competitiveness of a country.鈥�
Brende appeared on 鈥淔rankly Speaking鈥� on the eve of the first in-person WEF annual meeting since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first time that the event is being held in Davos in May.
Shortly before the pandemic hit, the WEF announced in January 2020 that its MENA regional summit would take place in the Kingdom that year. Asked if such an event was still on the table, Brende said that the WEF had not been able to take up any of its original meetings because of 鈥渦npredictability related to the pandemic.鈥�
Going forward, he said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 about time also that we go to the Kingdom. If we resume the regional meetings as we had them in the past, that鈥檚 to be seen. We are very much looking forward to coming back to Riyadh.鈥�
Watch the full Frankly Speaking episode below:
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