Saudi Arabia Proposes to Host WTO Ministerial Meeting in 2028
- SAUDI ARABIA BREAKING NEWS
- 7 hours ago
- 1 min read
GENEVA, December 18 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – Saudi Arabia has proposed to host a major ministerial meeting of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 2028, according to a WTO document.
The proposal was included on the agenda of a WTO meeting held in Geneva on December 16–17. Twenty-two countries welcomed the request, although a final decision has not yet been taken, a WTO spokesperson said on Thursday.
Bangladesh, Kuwait, Russia, Cameroon and Thailand were among the countries that expressed support for holding the meeting in Riyadh. The proposed event would coincide with the 20th anniversary of Saudi Arabia’s accession to the WTO.
Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Commerce, Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasabi, first raised the proposal in October.
“Hosting MC15 represents a strategic opportunity to demonstrate our deep commitment to the principles and objectives of the WTO and the multilateral trading system,” Al Qasabi said at the time.
Saudi Arabia has regularly hosted international financial conferences and has expanded its role in global sports and entertainment events in recent years. The Kingdom is set to host the 2034 FIFA World Cup.
The WTO’s next ministerial conference, MC14, will be held in Yaounde, Cameroon, in March 2026, where ministers are expected to discuss possible reforms to the global trade body.
