• Former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and South Korean trade minister Yoo Myung-hee are the final candidates to head the WTO
• Al-Tuwaijri said that he was confident either of the candidates would “steer the WTO in the right direction”

Arab News

LONDON: Mohammad Al-Tuwaijri wished the remaining World Trade Organization (WTO) candidates luck on Thursday after it announced that two women were vying for the director-general position.

Al-Tuwaijri, Saudi Arabia’s candidate for the top job at the WTO, also emphasized the importance of the organization as the world prepares for a “period of post-pandemic economic recovery.”

“I remain wholeheartedly passionate about the importance of the organization’s role in facilitating free trade and steering the world in the right direction,” he said in a statement.

The adviser minister to the Royal Court thanked all member states “for their tireless efforts to reach a consensus on the final two candidates for the next position of Director-General.”

Former Nigerian finance minister Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and South Korean trade minister Yoo Myung-hee are the final candidates to head the WTO and Al-Tuwaijri said that he was confident either of the candidates would “steer the WTO in the right direction, to the benefit of all.”

He also thanked the Kingdom, its leadership and people for “their steadfast support” for his candidacy.