On November 21, Saudi Arabian aircraft flew over Riyadh to mark the start of the G20 Leaders’ Summit. For the Kingdom, hosting this year’s summit- the first by an Arab nation- was supposed to be a white wash event- a release from the shadows cast by denunciations of Jamal Khashoggi’s murder in 2018 as well as various human rights accusations over the years. However, due to the ongoing Covid-19 contagion, the summit was limited to a virtual two-day showcase of digital diplomacy. This was the second online G20 summit under the Kingdom’s presidency following an emergency summit held in March.
The Group of 20 nations was formed in 1999 in the aftermath of the global financial crisis of 2008/2009. The G20 member states are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union (EU).The organization’s presidency circulates among five groups of countries, with one country in each group holding the position at a time. Saudi Arabia – which is grouped with Canada, Australia and the United States, was named president in December 2019.
