On February 16, 2025, during the inaugural global Conference on Emerging Market Economies in Al Ula, Saudi Arabia, a high-level roundtable was co-hosted by the Saudi Finance Ministry and the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The event focused on "Working Together to Support Recovery in the Middle East’s Conflict-Affected Economies" and included finance ministers from the region, Syria's Foreign Affairs Minister, World Bank representatives, and heads of other international financial institutions.
Kristalina Georgieva, Managing Director of the IMF, alongside Mohammed Aljadaan, Saudi Arabia's Finance Minister, issued a joint statement following the meeting. They noted: “This important meeting brought together representatives from the Middle East and key economic and development partners to discuss how we can work together to support recovery in the Middle East’s conflict-affected economies.”
The participants acknowledged “the urgency and importance” of addressing humanitarian needs in these regions to rebuild their economies efficiently for their people’s benefit. The gathering provided an opportunity to understand challenges facing conflict-affected countries better. A significant focus was placed on Syria.
Participants committed to collaborating while respecting their institutional mandates. An informal coordination group will be established to further these efforts with discussions set to continue at the upcoming IMF/World Bank Spring Meetings scheduled for April 21-26 in Washington, D.C.