Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Jan 30, 2026

G7 summit: What is it and why is it in Cornwall?

G7 summit: What is it and why is it in Cornwall?

World leaders including US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are expected in a Cornish resort next week.

They will be there to hold face-to-face meetings during a summit of G7 nations.

What is the G7?


The G7 (Group of Seven) is an organisation made up of the world's seven largest so-called advanced economies. They are Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the United States.

Russia joined in 1998, creating the "G8", but was excluded in 2014 for its takeover of Crimea.

China has never been a member, despite its large economy and having the world's biggest population. Its relatively low level of wealth per person means it is not seen as an advanced economy in the way the G7 members are.

Representatives from the European Union are usually present and India, South Korea and Australia have been invited this year.

Why is the G7 summit in Cornwall?


The UK holds the G7 presidency for 2021 and announced in January that the meeting would take place at the Carbis Bay Hotel.

The region is seen as central to the UK's green technology sector. Showing off the country's green credentials is important to the government ahead of the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow in November.

It is not the first time the world leaders have met on the beach. The last G7 summit in 2019 was held in the French seaside town of Biarritz.

Day-to-day life for locals and tourists in Cornwall will be affected, including road and path closures.

In some areas of nearby St Ives, residents will have to provide proof of address in order to access their homes.

The UK government said it was important for world leaders to meet in person and regular Covid testing would take place.


What does the G7 do?


Throughout the year ministers and officials from the member countries hold meetings, form agreements and publish joint statements on global events.

Finance minsters have been meeting in London, to discuss a possible tax on big tech firms and action on climate change.

The main event is the annual summit where the leaders sit down to talk about the biggest issues of the day.

Last year's summit, which was due to be hosted by President Donald Trump, was cancelled because of the pandemic. It was the first year without a summit since the group first met in 1975.

What will happen at this year's summit?


The main topic of conversation will be Covid recovery, including "a stronger global health system that can protect us all from future pandemics".

The agenda also includes climate change and trade.

Leaders will arrive on Friday 11 June and meetings will get under way the following morning, with guest countries arriving that afternoon.

Leaders are meeting at Carbis Bay Hotel on the Cornish coast

Most of the conversations take place behind closed doors, but there are usually set-piece moments on camera - including the obligatory leaders' photo.

At the end of the summit, the UK - as the host nation - will publish a document called a communique. This outlines what has been agreed by the leaders.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to hold a press conference on Sunday.

Will there be protests and more police?


Protesting and policing are both more difficult this year because of Covid restrictions.

Police have hired a cruise ship to help house officers off nearby Falmouth. More than 5,000 extra officers - on top of 1,500 from Devon and Cornwall - will police the summit.

Extinction Rebellion is planning a string of demonstrations during the summit

Demonstrators have been told they can gather in four approved protesting sites, including one in Exeter - more than 100 miles away.

Police have said they are "not naïve enough to expect that every protest will take place solely in those four sites".

Climate activist group Extinction Rebellion says it expects 1,000 people at its protests in Cornwall.

Does the G7 have any power?


It can't pass any laws because it is made up of separate nations with their own democratic processes.

However, some decisions can have global effects.

For example, the G7 played crucial roles in setting up a global fund to fight malaria and Aids in 2002.

The G7 has been criticised as being out of date, partly because it does not include two of the largest countries in the world: India and China. In 2020 President Trump called it a "very outdated group of countries".

Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Saudi Aviation Records Historic Passenger Traffic in 2025 and Sets Sights on Further Growth in 2026
Tech Market Shifts and AI Investment Surge Drive Global Innovation and Layoffs
Global Shifts in War, Trade, Energy and Security Mark Major International Developments
Tesla Ends Model S and X Production and Sends $2 Billion to xAI as 2025 Revenue Declines
The AI Hiring Doom Loop — Algorithmic Recruiting Filters Out Top Talent and Rewards Average or Fake Candidates
Federal Reserve Holds Interest Rate at 3.75% as Powell Faces DOJ Criminal Investigation During 2026 Decision
Putin’s Four-Year Ukraine Invasion Cost: Russia’s Mass Casualty Attrition and the Donbas Security-Guarantee Tradeoff
Saudi Crown Prince Tells Iranian President: Kingdom Will Not Host Attacks Against Iran
U.S. Central Command Announces Regional Air Exercise as Iran Unveils Drone Carrier Footage
Trump Defends Saudi Crown Prince in Heated Exchange After Reporter Questions Khashoggi Murder and 9/11 Links
Saudi Stocks Rally as Kingdom Prepares to Fully Open Capital Market to Global Investors
Air France and KLM Suspend Multiple Middle East Routes as Regional Tensions Disrupt Aviation
Saudi Arabia scales back Neom as The Line is redesigned and Trojena downsized
Saudi Industrial Group Completes One Point Three Billion Dollar Acquisition of South Africa’s Barloworld
Saudi-Backed LIV Golf Confirms Return to Trump National Bedminster for 2026 Season
Gold Jumps More Than 8% in a Week as the Dollar Slides Amid Greenland Tariff Dispute
Boston Dynamics Atlas humanoid robot and LG CLOiD home robot: the platform lock-in fight to control Physical AI
United States under President Donald Trump completes withdrawal from the World Health Organization: health sovereignty versus global outbreak early-warning access
Trump Administration’s Iran Military Buildup and Sanctions Campaign Puts Deterrence Credibility on the Line
Tech Brief: AI Compute, Chips, and Platform Power Moves Driving Today’s Market Narrative
NATO’s Stress Test Under Trump: Alliance Credibility, Burden-Sharing, and the Fight Over Strategic Territory
Saudi Arabia’s Careful Balancing Act in Relations with Israel Amid Regional and Domestic Pressures
Greenland, Gaza, and Global Leverage: Today’s 10 Power Stories Shaping Markets and Security
America’s Venezuela Oil Grip Meets China’s Demand: Market Power, Legal Shockwaves, and the New Rules of Energy Leverage
Trump’s Board of Peace: Breakthrough Diplomacy or a Hostile Takeover of Global Order?
Trump’s Board of Peace: Breakthrough Diplomacy or a Hostile Takeover of Global Order?
Trump’s Board of Peace: Breakthrough Diplomacy or a Hostile Takeover of Global Order?
Trump’s Board of Peace: Breakthrough Diplomacy or a Hostile Takeover of Global Order?
Prince William to Make Official Visit to Saudi Arabia in February
Saudi Arabia Advances Ambitious Artificial River Mega-Project to Transform Water Security
Saudi Crown Prince and Syrian President Discuss Stabilisation, Reconstruction and Regional Ties in Riyadh Talks
Mohammed bin Salman Confronts the ‘Iranian Moment’ as Saudi Leadership Faces Regional Test
Cybercrime, Inc.: When Crime Becomes an Economy. How the World Accidentally Built a Twenty-Trillion-Dollar Criminal Economy
Strategic Restraint, Credible Force, and the Discipline of Power
Donald Trump Organization Unveils Championship Golf Course and Luxury Resort Project in Saudi Arabia
Inside Diriyah: Saudi Arabia’s $63.2 Billion Vision to Transform Its Historic Heart into a Global Tourism Powerhouse
Trump Designates Saudi Arabia a Major Non-NATO Ally, Elevating US–Riyadh Defense Partnership
Trump Organization Deepens Saudi Property Focus with $10 Billion Luxury Developments
There is no sovereign immunity for poisoning millions with drugs.
Mohammed bin Salman’s Global Standing: Strategic Partner in Transition Amid Debate Over His Role
Saudi Arabia Opens Property Market to Foreign Buyers in Landmark Reform
The U.S. State Department’s account in Persian: “President Trump is a man of action. If you didn’t know it until now, now you do—do not play games with President Trump.”
CNN’s Ranking of Israel’s Women’s Rights Sparks Debate After Misleading Global Index Comparison
Saudi Arabia’s Shifting Regional Alignment Raises Strategic Concerns in Jerusalem
OPEC+ Holds Oil Output Steady Amid Member Tensions and Market Oversupply
Iranian Protests Intensify as Another Revolutionary Guard Member Is Killed and Khamenei Blames the West
President Trump Says United States Will Administer Venezuela Until a Secure Leadership Transition
Delta Force Identified as Unit Behind U.S. Operation That Captured Venezuela’s President
Saudi-UAE Rift Adds Complexity to Middle East Diplomacy as Trump Signals Firm Leadership
OPEC+ to Keep Oil Output Policy Unchanged Despite Saudi-UAE Tensions Over Yemen
×