Gaza to dominate sessions as WEF summit kicks off

The situation in Gaza and broader Middle East tensions are expected to get top billing at a Saudi-hosted special meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) that began here on Sunday. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Palestinian leaders and high-ranking officials from other countries striving for a ceasefire are on the guest list for the summit in the capital of the world’s biggest crude oil exporter. Saudi Arabia called for regional “stability”, warning of the effects of the ongoing attacks in Gaza on global economic sentiment at the start of a summit, attended by a host of Gaza mediators. The Gaza situation along with conflicts in Ukraine and elsewhere put “a lot of pressure” on the economic “mood”, Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan said at one of the first panel discussions of the two-day WEF special meeting.