Here are 5 highlights from World Economic Forum’s #SpecialMeeting24

Over a couple of days, 1,000 global leaders and experts from government, business and civil society assembled in the Saudi capital of Riyadh to discuss different pressing challenges patient the global community currently.

The World Economic Forum’s Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy for Development comprised dozens of sessions around 3 core themes: global collaboration, inclusive growth and energy for development.

Leaders talked about the importance of prioritising people, building partnerships, cautious optimism around some bright spots (such as signs of hope for the global economy), balancing policy around trade, and the increasing divide between the global North and South.

5 things to learn about special meeting in Riyadh

1. Political, economics, energy and technology figures called for clear pathways to stability, prosperity and inclusive growth in the face of cross-border challenges. The meeting recorded the highest number of registrations for any WEF event outside Davos.

2. The meeting ensured the launch of several initiatives in the fields of healthcare, space, AI and sustainability. On the final day, the chief executive of Moderna said the pharmaceutical company is set to soon have the first product for cancer on the healthcare market.

3. The Saudi Ministry of Health and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation signed a MoU to ensure equitable access to healthcare services for all, and to deliver more vaccines against polio, measles and other crucial health services to millions of children globally.

4. During a panel session, Suhail Al Mazrouei, Energy Minister of the UAE, said the Gulf state is likely to surpass its target of tripling renewable energy capacity by 2030 due to reduced clean energy prices and as more solar capacity is installed to produce green hydrogen.

5. A report released during the meeting, Shaping the Future of Learning: The Role of AI in Education 4.0, notes the potential of emerging technology in helping educational systems meet the increased demands for digital literacy and personalised learning environments.