<p class="bodytext">Saudi Arabia hosts the G20 summit Saturday in a first for an Arab nation, with the virtual forum dominated by efforts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic and the worst global recession in decades.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The two-day meeting of the world's wealthiest nations comes as President Donald Trump refuses to concede a bitter election and campaigners criticise what they call the G20's inadequate response to the crippling economic crisis.</p>.<p class="bodytext">World leaders will huddle virtually as international efforts intensify for a large-scale roll out of coronavirus vaccines after a breakthrough in trials, and as calls grow for G20 nations to plug a $4.5 billion funding shortfall.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Amid a raging pandemic, the summit -- usually an opportunity for one-on-one engagements between world leaders -- is reduced to brief online sessions of what some observers call "digital diplomacy".</p>.<p class="bodytext">The pandemic dampened Saudi Arabia's hopes of using the event as a grand coming-out party on the world stage. Still, the kingdom hosted a gala musical event on the eve of the summit and planned an aerial display of its passenger and aerobatic planes over Riyadh on Saturday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Without an opportunity to take the traditional "family photo", at the gala they projected a group portrait of G20 leaders onto the ruins of the historical town of Diriyah, close to the capital.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Saudi Arabia's King Salman will preside over the meeting, with sources close to the organisers saying climate change was among the issues topping the agenda.</p>.<p class="bodytext">German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin are among leaders expected to make speeches, the sources said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Trump will also participate, a US official said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will hold a briefing on Saturday, according to organisers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The G20 committed in March to do 'whatever it takes to overcome the pandemic and protect lives and livelihoods,'" British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, referring to an earlier forum.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"As we meet this weekend, we must hold ourselves to account for that promise."</p>.<p class="bodytext">G20 nations have contributed more than $21 billion to combat the pandemic, which has infected 56 million people globally and left 1.3 million dead, and injected $11 trillion to "safeguard" the virus-battered world economy, organisers said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development projects global economic output will contract by 4.5 per cent this year.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But G20 leaders face mounting pressure to help stave off possible credit defaults across developing nations.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Last week, the bloc's finance ministers declared a "common framework" for an extended debt restructuring plan for virus-ravaged countries, but campaigners say the measure is insufficient.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The ministers had extended a debt suspension initiative for developing countries until June next year.</p>.<p class="bodytext">UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged G20 leaders to offer a "firm commitment" to extend the initiative until the end of 2021.</p>.<p class="bodytext">International Monetary Fund managing director Kristalina Georgieva has warned that the global economy faces a hard road back from the Covid-19 downturn even as vaccines are now in sight.</p>.<p class="bodytext">G20 nations must help plug a $4.5 billion funding gap in the so-called ACT-Accelerator -- a programme that promotes an equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines -- to rein in the pandemic, said a joint letter to the group from Norway's prime minister, South Africa's president, the heads of the European Union and the World Health Organization.</p>.<p class="bodytext">US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a staunch Trump defender, will be in Saudi Arabia on the second day of the summit.</p>.<p class="bodytext">It was unclear whether Trump, who continues to reject his election loss, will speak at the event. Many of his fellow G20 leaders have already congratulated his rival, President-elect Joe Biden.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Ahead of the summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she hoped the US will adopt a more multilateralist stance under Biden.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We also expect of course new momentum from the new US administration" on climate change, reversing Trump's withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, she added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Saudi Arabia's human rights record has cast a shadow on the gathering, as campaigners and families of jailed activists launch vigorous drives to highlight the issue.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Key among them are the siblings of jailed activist Loujain al-Hathloul, on hunger strike for more than 20 days demanding regular family contact.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But some Western officials have indicated human rights will not be raised at the summit, saying they prefer to use bilateral forums to discuss the issue with the Saudi government.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The G20 presidency has conferred an undeserved mark of international prestige on the (Saudi) government," said Michael Page, from Human Rights Watch.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Instead of signalling its concern for Saudi Arabia's serious abuses, the G20 is bolstering the Saudi government's well-funded publicity efforts to portray the country as 'reforming' despite a significant increase in repression."</p>
<p class="bodytext">Saudi Arabia hosts the G20 summit Saturday in a first for an Arab nation, with the virtual forum dominated by efforts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic and the worst global recession in decades.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The two-day meeting of the world's wealthiest nations comes as President Donald Trump refuses to concede a bitter election and campaigners criticise what they call the G20's inadequate response to the crippling economic crisis.</p>.<p class="bodytext">World leaders will huddle virtually as international efforts intensify for a large-scale roll out of coronavirus vaccines after a breakthrough in trials, and as calls grow for G20 nations to plug a $4.5 billion funding shortfall.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Amid a raging pandemic, the summit -- usually an opportunity for one-on-one engagements between world leaders -- is reduced to brief online sessions of what some observers call "digital diplomacy".</p>.<p class="bodytext">The pandemic dampened Saudi Arabia's hopes of using the event as a grand coming-out party on the world stage. Still, the kingdom hosted a gala musical event on the eve of the summit and planned an aerial display of its passenger and aerobatic planes over Riyadh on Saturday.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Without an opportunity to take the traditional "family photo", at the gala they projected a group portrait of G20 leaders onto the ruins of the historical town of Diriyah, close to the capital.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Saudi Arabia's King Salman will preside over the meeting, with sources close to the organisers saying climate change was among the issues topping the agenda.</p>.<p class="bodytext">German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian leader Vladimir Putin are among leaders expected to make speeches, the sources said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Trump will also participate, a US official said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan will hold a briefing on Saturday, according to organisers.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The G20 committed in March to do 'whatever it takes to overcome the pandemic and protect lives and livelihoods,'" British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, referring to an earlier forum.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"As we meet this weekend, we must hold ourselves to account for that promise."</p>.<p class="bodytext">G20 nations have contributed more than $21 billion to combat the pandemic, which has infected 56 million people globally and left 1.3 million dead, and injected $11 trillion to "safeguard" the virus-battered world economy, organisers said.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Paris-based Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development projects global economic output will contract by 4.5 per cent this year.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But G20 leaders face mounting pressure to help stave off possible credit defaults across developing nations.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Last week, the bloc's finance ministers declared a "common framework" for an extended debt restructuring plan for virus-ravaged countries, but campaigners say the measure is insufficient.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The ministers had extended a debt suspension initiative for developing countries until June next year.</p>.<p class="bodytext">UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged G20 leaders to offer a "firm commitment" to extend the initiative until the end of 2021.</p>.<p class="bodytext">International Monetary Fund managing director Kristalina Georgieva has warned that the global economy faces a hard road back from the Covid-19 downturn even as vaccines are now in sight.</p>.<p class="bodytext">G20 nations must help plug a $4.5 billion funding gap in the so-called ACT-Accelerator -- a programme that promotes an equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines -- to rein in the pandemic, said a joint letter to the group from Norway's prime minister, South Africa's president, the heads of the European Union and the World Health Organization.</p>.<p class="bodytext">US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a staunch Trump defender, will be in Saudi Arabia on the second day of the summit.</p>.<p class="bodytext">It was unclear whether Trump, who continues to reject his election loss, will speak at the event. Many of his fellow G20 leaders have already congratulated his rival, President-elect Joe Biden.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Ahead of the summit, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she hoped the US will adopt a more multilateralist stance under Biden.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"We also expect of course new momentum from the new US administration" on climate change, reversing Trump's withdrawal from the Paris climate accord, she added.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Saudi Arabia's human rights record has cast a shadow on the gathering, as campaigners and families of jailed activists launch vigorous drives to highlight the issue.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Key among them are the siblings of jailed activist Loujain al-Hathloul, on hunger strike for more than 20 days demanding regular family contact.</p>.<p class="bodytext">But some Western officials have indicated human rights will not be raised at the summit, saying they prefer to use bilateral forums to discuss the issue with the Saudi government.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"The G20 presidency has conferred an undeserved mark of international prestige on the (Saudi) government," said Michael Page, from Human Rights Watch.</p>.<p class="bodytext">"Instead of signalling its concern for Saudi Arabia's serious abuses, the G20 is bolstering the Saudi government's well-funded publicity efforts to portray the country as 'reforming' despite a significant increase in repression."</p>