The 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), one of the largest economic events in Russia was attended by more than 24,200 participants and media representatives from 144 countries and territories, including Russia. The largest delegations came from Indonesia (over 260), China (250), the UAE (over 120), Bahrain (over 80), and Saudi Arabia (over 80). The BRICS+ format (except Iran) was almost entirely represented, as were all BRICS partner countries. The number of representatives from ASEAN countries increased fourfold. The Forum was organized by Roscongress Foundation.

High-ranking officials who attended the Forum included: President of the Republic of Abkhazia Badra Gunba; President of the Republic of Indonesia Prabowo Subianto; Chairman of the Government of the Republic of South Ossetia Konstantin Dzhussoyev; Deputy President of the Republic of South Africa Paul Mashatile; Vice Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China Ding Xuexiang; Personal Representative of His Majesty the King of Bahrain for Charity and Youth Affairs Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa; Secretary General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) Haitham al-Ghais; and Secretary General of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) Lazar Comanescu.

In addition, the Forum events were attended by more than 140 high-ranking foreign officials, including deputy prime ministers, ministers of foreign affairs, prosecutors general, and heads of international organizations and associations, diplomatic missions, and different cities and regions around the world. The Russian side was represented by 38 high-ranking officials, 29 heads of federal services and agencies, and 83 leaders of Russia’s regions.

The Forum brought together about 8,700 representatives of Russian and foreign businesses. It is worth noting that the number of business representatives from the United States increased by almost a third. More than 3,600 Russian companies and 560 companies from other countries were represented at the Forum. It was also attended by some 2,800 senior executives from Russian and other global companies.

Guest Country 

This year, Bahrain was granted the honorary status of the SPIEF guest country. The country’s representative delegation was headed by the son of the ruling monarch and his National Security Advisor His Highness Sheikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Representative of His Majesty the King for Humanitarian Affairs and Youth Affairs and Commander of the Royal Guard. The delegation included about 80 representatives of Bahraini government agencies and the private sector. At the Forum, Bahrain hosted a national pavilion designed to showcase the country’s investment potential in finance, tourism, technology, and sustainable development. At the opening ceremony of Bahrain’s national stand, Bahraini Minister of Industry and Commerce Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro stressed that Bahrain views its participation in the SPIEF as a strategic opportunity to intensify cooperation in such areas as industry, transport, digitalization, food security, and investment.

The SPIEF focused on global and regional economic processes, market transformation, new technologies, the investment climate, financial policy, and people. The Forum is unique in terms of its applicable significance, since it is a platform where practical decisions are made, innovative large-scale projects are launched, real investment agreements are signed, and experts share their experience, forecasts, and strategic initiatives.