UAE officials participate in Third Extraordinary G-20 Sherpa Meeting in preparation for G-20 Summit

Ahmed Ali Al Sayegh, UAE Minister of State, participated in the Third Extraordinary Group of 20, G-20, Sherpa Meeting, held virtually from October 27-29.

The UAE attended in its capacity as a guest invitee at the G-20 Summit, which will take place virtually in November 2020.

The Sherpa Meeting gathered official representatives from G-20 members to further progress discussions and find consensus for the wording of the Leaders’ Declaration, as all Ministerial Meetings and Working Groups have now concluded their meetings for the year.

The meeting also saw the participation of Abdulnasser Alshaali, Assistant Minister for Economic and Trade Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, and Sous-Sherpa.

Reflecting on the Meeting, Al Sayegh commended the work of all of the Sherpas and expressed confidence in concluding this year’s work with an impactful and positive message: "As we approach the Leaders’ Summit, I am continuously impressed by my counterparts in their passion and dedication to coming together to find common ground. I’m confident that the work we’ve been able to do will help pave the way to building back better - ensuring an inclusive recovery - and tackling the most pressing challenges of both today and tomorrow, together."

Al Sayegh also commended the hard work of UAE ministries and entities in ensuring that the UAE has been a constructive and substantive participant through the G-20 process. "The UAE has come together with a whole-of-government approach to both contribute to and learn from this process. It’s been an enormous opportunity for the UAE. As a part of our approach, we have also sought to ensure that not only has the UAE’s voice been heard at the G-20, but also the voices from the GCC, developing countries, and small island developing states. This has helped promote inclusive policies and practices at the G-20."

In December 2019, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia invited the UAE, in its capacity as current Chair of the GCC, to engage in the 2020 G-20 process.

Established in 1999, the G-20 Summit is an annual gathering of representatives of the world’s largest economies that works to strengthen international economic cooperation. This year’s theme under Saudi Arabia’s G-20 presidency is "Realizing Opportunities of the 21st Century for All," with the broad aims of "Empowering People, Safeguarding the Planet, and Shaping New Frontiers."