Saudi King to chair virtual G20 Summit on coronavirus pandemic on March 26

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed Saudi Arabia to call a virtual G20 Summit, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman Bin Abdul Aziz is set to chair it on March 26. The Group of 20 major economies will discuss the global response to the coronavirus pandemic which has claimed nearly 19,000 lives across the world.

"King Salman will chair the meeting to advance a coordinated global response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its human and economic implications," a statement released by Riyadh read.

Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will take part in the Extraordinary Virtual G20 Leaders’ Summit which will discuss the ways to combat the crisis and its impact on the world economy. Leaders from other affected countries like Spain, Singapore, and Jordan will also join the G20 members via videoconference. 

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Impact on the global economy

According to the latest report, Saudi Arabia has confirmed 767 cases of coronavirus with one recorded death. The rising death toll around the globe has forced governments to take stringent measures in the form of lockdowns has severely impacted the economy.

Earlier, King Salman had called the coronavirus pandemic as a difficult phase in world history and warned that the upcoming phase will be even more difficult for the world. Addressing the nation on March 19, the Saudi King, however, expressed confidence that this will pass and the Kingdom will take all necessary measures for the safety of people.

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The 84-year-old monarch, in a rare public address, underlined the Kingdom’s response to the novel coronavirus pandemic. King Salman said that Saudi Arabia is continuing to take all precautionary measures and the country is fully aware of what the world is going through right now.

The Saudi King emphasised the need for the individual as well as collective awareness and the importance of adhering to the instructions of relevant authorities. He also expressed his keenness to provide everything required in such critical circumstances to both citizens and expatriates.

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