The forum will coincide with the 16th session of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Conference of the Parties (COP16), which will take place in Riyadh from December 2–13. COP16 Riyadh is set to be the largest UNCCD conference ever and the biggest multilateral event ever hosted by Saudi Arabia.

In a significant move to support Syria's post-conflict recovery, Saudi Arabia and Qatar have jointly agreed to pay off Syria's outstanding debt of approximately $15 million to the World Bank. This decision, announced during the recent World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF) meetings in Washington, aims to unlock international grants and facilitate the resumption of World Bank operations in Syria after a 14-year hiatus.

The journey toward Riyadh’s bid to host the World Expo 2030 officially began today, as members of the Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) initiated their first in a series of workshops as part of the Enquiry Mission into Saudi Arabia’s candidacy.