The first ever Arab economic summit, to be hosted by Kuwait in January, will focus on worsening poverty and unemployment in the Arab world, and boosting inter-Arab trade, a minister said.

"The summit will tackle the aggravation of poverty and unemployment and the deterioration of living conditions in the Arab world, besides boosting modest trade," Kuwaiti Finance Minister Mustafa Al Shamali said.

The summit will also discuss investments, infrastructure projects and the issue of reforms, Al Shamali told the Kuna news agency after chairing a preparatory meeting at Arab League headquarters in Cairo.

A large number of Arab leaders are expected to attend the January 19-20 summit. The meeting in Kuwait will be the first by heads of state of the 22-member Arab League to focus only on economic issues.

Economic reports have said that Arab countries need to create more than 80 million jobs by 2020 and the number of Arab jobless is put at around 60 million.-TradeArabia News Service