Beirut, 23 September 2026--United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) Rania Al-Mashat extended her well wishes to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the occasion of the Saudi National Day, and wished its people continued progress, prosperity and well-being
Al-Mashat commended the Kingdom's ambitious development trajectory and its important role in advancing joint Arab action and strengthening international cooperation to promote sustainable development, stability and prosperity. She noted that Riyadh was soon to host the Sixth World Data Forum, to be held from 9 to 12 November 2026, and that ESCWA was helping to organize this major global event.
"We highly value our strong cooperation with Saudi Arabia and look forward to deepening our partnership further in support of the development priorities of the Kingdom and those of the wider region," Al-Mashat said.
ESCWA and Saudi Arabia cooperate on shared sustainable development priorities, including climate action and natural resource sustainability, water, statistics and data, economic and social policy, digital transformation, and the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Al-Mashat reaffirmed the commitment of ESCWA to expanding cooperation with Saudi Arabia and developing new joint initiatives that address rapidly evolving economic, social, technological and climate-related challenges. She emphasized knowledge exchange, capacity-building and practical policy solutions for the Kingdom and the Arab region.
"On the Kingdom's National Day, we look forward with confidence to a new chapter in our partnership and to continuing our work with Saudi Arabia for a more prosperous, resilient and sustainable future across the region," Al-Mashat concluded.
