Riyadh | BETH – March 11, 2026

Saudi Arabia, represented by the General Authority for Foreign Trade, will host tomorrow a meeting of Arab trade ministers as part of preparations for the 14th WTO Ministerial Conference, scheduled to take place in Yaoundé, Cameroon, from March 26 to 29, 2026.

The meeting, held via videoconference, will be opened by Saudi Minister of Commerce and Chairman of the Board of the General Authority for Foreign Trade Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi, with participation from the Gulf Cooperation Council Secretariat, the League of Arab States, the World Trade Organization, and the Islamic Development Bank.

The ministerial meeting aims to coordinate the negotiating positions of Arab countries and define their priorities within the World Trade Organization, strengthening their ability to contribute effectively to the discussions of the 14th Ministerial Conference and to achieve balanced outcomes reflecting their economic interests and development priorities.

The meeting is also expected to adopt the Arab Group ministerial statement, which outlines a shared vision on key issues including WTO reform, strengthening the development dimension in the multilateral trading system, and advancing negotiations on agriculture and food security.

Saudi Arabia has served as coordinator of the Arab Group at the World Trade Organization for eight sessions since 2011.

BETH Commentary

Hosting the meeting in Riyadh reflects Saudi Arabia’s continued role in coordinating Arab economic positions within international institutions, particularly on issues related to global trade and food security.

It also signals an effort by Arab countries to strengthen their collective negotiating presence within the World Trade Organization amid rapid changes in the global trading system and increasing competition among major economic powers.