Riyadh: King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz of Saudi Arabia is due to arrive in Canada tomorrow evening to attend the G20 Economic Summit.

The summit, to be held in Toronto on Saturday and Sunday, aims to throw light on international economic developments after the financial crisis hit the world last year.

In a statement to Gulf News, Saudi Finance Minister Dr Ebrahim Al Assaf said Saudi Arabia's membership in the G20 Summit and its participation in discussions pertaining to the financial and economic issues came in recognition of its position as the single largest oil exporter in the world, in addition to being a country with the largest oil reserves and energy production.

"This has enabled the kingdom to be an influential power in the international oil market," he said.

The minister described his country's economy as the largest in the region and said that it had obtained the G20 membership because of its support to international development institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

A high-ranking Saudi diplomat said that King Abdullah, who will represent the Arab and Islamic world in the G20 Summit, seeks to avail the opportunity by holding discussions with leaders on Arab and Islamic issues, especially the Palestinian cause, the future of the peace process and Iraq and Iran's nuclear files.

Peace pursuit

Speaking on a condition of anonymity, the diplomat added that King Abdullah would try to convince the world about the necessity of a peaceful solution to the afore-mentioned issues.

During a telephone conversation two days ago, King Abdullah discussed with the Prime Minister of Canada some proposals and suggestions concerning issues based on the agenda of the summit.

‘‘As a representative of the Arab and Islamic world in the G20 Summit, the King will also call for more attention to the poor countries of the world," he said.

He added that the King will ask these leaders to put more pressures on Israel to resume the peace process.

"The King will also seek suitable solutions for the situation in Iraq," he added.