The Kingdom, IMF organize a high-level conference in Al-Ula to address the challenges of emerging markets

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the International Monetary Fund announced the organization of an annual high-level conference in the city of Al-Ula during the period from February 16-17, 2025, to address the challenges facing emerging market economies and the opportunities available to them.

This came in a joint statement issued by Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Jadaan, Minister of Finance, and Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund.

The statement said, “The world is facing deeper and more frequent shocks, including those resulting from conflicts, geo-economic fragmentation, pandemics, climate change, food insecurity, and the digital technology gap. If these shocks cannot be adequately addressed, they will pose risks to the improvements in living standards that emerging market economies have achieved with strenuous efforts. These setbacks will affect large segments of the world’s population and jeopardize global growth and macroeconomic-financial stability.

The statement added, “Against this backdrop, the IMF and the Kingdom have agreed to co-organize an annual high-level conference in AlUla to address the challenges and opportunities facing emerging market economies. The first event of this series of conferences will be held from February 16-17, 2025. The statement added, “The AlUla Conference on Emerging Market Economies will bring together a distinguished group of finance ministers, central bank governors, policymakers, and leaders of the public and private sectors in emerging markets, as well as representatives from international institutions and academic circles. This conference will provide a distinguished platform for exchanging views on local, regional and global economic developments and discussing policies and reforms aimed at stimulating inclusive prosperity for all and building resilience, supported by strong international cooperation.”