The Economic and Social Council of the League of Arab States (Arab League) convened its 118th ministerial session on Thursday, 3 September 2026, under the chairmanship of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Mr. Abdullah A. BinZaraah, Saudi Assistant Minister of Finance for Macro-Fiscal Policies and International Relations, presided over the proceedings, held at the headquarters of the League's General Secretariat in Cairo, with representatives of member states in attendance.
The meeting participants addressed a range of economic and social issues of shared Arab interest, as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen cooperation among member states, advance development, and promote intra-Arab trade, thereby broadening prospects for integration and growth across the region.
In the Kingdom's address to the meeting, Mr. BinZaraah emphasized that joint Arab economic and social action constitutes a fundamental pillar for strengthening collective capacity to address challenges and seize opportunities. He underscored the importance of moving beyond coordination and the exchange of perspectives toward implementation and the delivery of tangible results, through enhanced implementation and monitoring mechanisms, closer alignment of decisions and initiatives with clear objectives and measurable indicators, stronger coordination among joint Arab action institutions and specialized Arab organizations, and the allocation of resources and capabilities toward priorities capable of delivering the greatest impact.
Highlighting the Kingdom's achievements at the national level, Mr. BinZaraah noted that the World Bank Group's World Development Report 2026, underscored Saudi Arabia's prominent standing in the global AI landscape, ranking it among the world's top ten countries in private investment in the field. The report also recognized the Kingdom's regional leadership and progress in government data integration. He further highlighted Saudi Arabia's launch of the world's first virtual hospital, explaining that the Kingdom is advancing an integrated pathway toward the intelligent age, bringing together investment in infrastructure, computing, and data with capability development, a robust regulatory environment, and the broader application of technology across the economy and public services, thereby strengthening the Kingdom's global standing and supporting the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.
The Assistant Minister also highlighted the Kingdom's progress in global competitiveness, noting that Saudi Arabia ranked 13th globally and third among G20 countries in the 2026 IMD World Competitiveness Yearbook, published by the International Institute for Management Development. He also underscored the national economy's advanced standing among G20 economies in the International Monetary Fund's growth projections for 2026 and 2027, despite the disruptions and challenges confronting the region and the wider world.
Mr. BinZaraah added that Saudi Arabia's achievements extend to its humanitarian and development role, as one of the leading contributors of assistance through the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre and the Kingdom's various development institutions, supporting countries affected by crises and disasters and advancing human prosperity and development.
Concluding the Kingdom's address, Mr. BinZaraah expressed hope that the items on the session's agenda would contribute to advancing joint Arab action across the economic, social, and development fields, as well as lead to decisions that respond effectively to current challenges and open new avenues for economic and social cooperation, thereby reinforcing stability, development, and prosperity throughout the Arab world.
The Economic and Social Council is one of the principal organs of the League of Arab States and is comprised of the ministers responsible for economic and financial affairs in member states. It convenes twice a year to strengthen economic and social cooperation, support the development of Arab economies, and facilitate intra-Arab trade. The Council is also responsible for preparing the economic and social dossiers submitted to Arab summits.