• The theme of the meeting will be the place of the region in the fourth industrial revolution
• Middle East WEF’s in the past have been staged in Egypt, Jordan and some have been held in the UAE

Frank Kane, Davos

Saudi Arabia will host the next Middle East summit of the World Economic Forum, the first time the Kingdom has staged the prestigious meeting of world leaders, it was announced in Davos on Thursday.

Borge Brende, the WEF president, told delegates: “The next Middle East summit will be held in Saudi Arabia on the 5 and 6 of April this year.”

The theme of the meeting will be the place of the region in the fourth industrial revolution, according to a posting on the official WEF website.

Middle East WEF’s in the past have been staged in Egypt, Jordan and some have been held in the UAE.

The announcement was made at a special meeting at Davos to consider the strategic priorities for Saudi Arabia as it prepares to stage the G20 meeting of world leaders in the Kingdom in November, the first time the power-summit has been held in the Middle East.