A WTO document reported that Saudi Arabia has suggested hosting a significant event of the World Trade Organization in 2028.
A spokesperson of the WTO said in a statement on Thursday that the request was discussed in the agenda of a WTO meeting that was being held in Geneva on December 16-17, and the proposal was received positively by 22 countries, but a final decision was not yet made.
The countries that had put forward the proposal to hold the meeting in Riyadh included Bangladesh, Kuwait, Russia, Cameroon, and Thailand, and this would coincide with the 20th anniversary of Saudi Arabia’s accession to the WTO.
However, the idea was initially discussed by the Commerce Minister of Saudi Arabia, Majid bin Abdullah al-Qasabi, in October.
He said that “Hosting MC15 represents a strategic opportunity to demonstrate our deep commitment to the principles and objectives of the WTO and the Multilateral Trading System.”
Saudi Arabia is a frequent host of financial conferences and, in recent years, has also made an enormous investment in sports and entertainment in an effort to enhance its global reputation, and will also host the soccer World Cup in 2034.
MC14 will be hosted in Yaounde, Cameroon, in March 2026, and the ministers will discuss the possible reforms to the world trade watchdog.
