Saudi Arabia, S. Korea to hold ministerial meetings to bolster cooperation

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia and South Korea will hold two days of ministerial meetings in Seoul starting Oct. 26, to discuss cooperation in several sectors, particularly transport, housing, infrastructure and nuclear energy.
The meetings will identify projects for cooperation within the framework of Vision 2030, said South Korea’s vice minister of land, infrastructure and transport, Son Byeong-seok, who visited Riyadh last week to prepare for the meetings and discuss possible projects for cooperation.
He said his talks with senior Saudi officials “mainly focused on smart traffic and road technology, railway projects, cooperation in the housing sector, traffic control, the Madinah Metro Project, and smart technology and infrastructure to build new cities.”
It is these issues that will be on the agenda of the upcoming meetings, added Son, who was accompanied by more than 20 public and private sector officials.
The meetings in Seoul will be co-chaired by Adel Faqeeh, Saudi minister of economy and planning, and Kang Kyung-wha, Korean foreign minister.
The Kingdom, which plans to build 1.5 million houses and carry out railway and metro projects, has chosen South Korea as a strategic partner to help implement Vision 2030.
Korean Ambassador Kwon Pyung-oh said the two countries “have been working closely” in the field of nuclear energy.
South Korea hopes to export its nuclear technology to the Kingdom, which has announced plans to build nuclear reactors to reduce its reliance on oil. Recent meetings have taken place between South Korean and Saudi officials to step up cooperation in this sector.