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RIYADH: The Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan bin Abdullah received a phone call on Tuesday from Jean-Noel Barrot, France’s minister of Europe and foreign affairs.
The Saudi Press Agency reported that the two ministers discussed regional developments and topics of common interest during their call.
RIYADH: Lt. Gen. Turki bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz, the commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force, attended the conclusion of Tuwaiq 4 joint military drills on Tuesday.
Prince Turki arrived at Prince Sultan Airbase, located near Al-Kharj, southeast of Riyadh, where in recent days, air force personnel and fighter pilots from eight nations have participated in aerial exercises.
Prince Turki met air force officers from Oman, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar, the UK, the US, Greece, and the UAE. He was received upon his arrival by the base commander and Major General Mohsen bin Saeed Al-Zahrani, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Tuwaiq 4 drills included maneuvers of tactical landing, flying at high and low altitudes, operating in challenging scenarios, carrying out search and rescue operations, and enhancing ground technical support.
RIYADH: Recent British deals with Saudi Arabia and the UAE have created 4,000 new jobs in Britain and are part of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s plans to raise living standards, he said during a recent visit to Riyadh.
Starmer was received by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at Al-Yamamah Palace in the Saudi capital this week, where discussions centered on enhancing bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual economic interest.
“The UAE and Saudi Arabia are key partners of ours. So I’ve been making the case that now is the time for further investment into our country, as far as Saudi Arabia is concerned,” Starmer told local press.
“For example, some of the deals we’ve done in the last few weeks have yielded 4,000 jobs, and so I’m here driving growth with the sole intention of making sure that when I say living standards will go up in the UK, people will feel better off that we’ve got the plan to follow through and deliver on that, with acts, with investment around the world.”
The visit included a high-profile business roundtable on Monday featuring Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Commerce Majid Al-Kassabi, Saudi Ambassador to the UK Prince Khalid bin Sultan, and Starmer.
Trade and investment: Key drivers
Trade between the UK and Saudi Arabia has seen robust growth in recent years, with bilateral trade valued at £14 billion annually. The UK is a key exporter to the Kingdom, supplying machinery, vehicles and pharmaceuticals, while Saudi Arabia exports crude oil, petrochemical products and significant investments in non-oil sectors.
• The Kingdom has been actively fostering global partnerships, as reflected in its agreements with the UK.
• Sectors such as green energy, digital transformation and healthcare innovation are seen as crucial for the next phase of bilateral economic engagement.
Recent discussions placed a particular emphasis on diversifying this trade relationship. Sectors such as green energy, digital transformation and health care innovation are seen as crucial for the next phase of bilateral economic engagement.
Saudi Arabia’s investments in its ICT sector, projected to reach $37.5 billion by 2024, present significant opportunities for British firms.
“The Kingdom’s investment in ICT is a clear signal of its ambitions. For UK technology firms, this is a market of immense opportunity,” said Sarah Walker, CEO of ZainTECH UK, in a previous interview with Arab News.
Renewable energy at the forefront
A cornerstone of the Saudi-UK partnership lies in renewable energy. Saudi Arabia has emerged as a global leader in clean energy, particularly in green hydrogen, where it aims to become a dominant producer.
James Penlington, CEO of London-based Renewable Edge, told Arab News previously: “Saudi Arabia’s investments in green hydrogen are unmatched globally. As a UK company, we are keen to contribute our expertise to support the Kingdom’s sustainability goals.”
The Kingdom’s focus on renewable energy is in line with its Vision 2030 target of generating 50 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by the end of the decade. This ambitious goal has attracted significant interest from UK firms specializing in solar, wind and hydrogen technologies.
Expanding educational and training partnerships
The growing Saudi-UK trade relationship is also fostering collaborations in education and training.
British universities and institutions are increasingly playing a role in developing Saudi Arabia’s workforce, particularly in high-tech fields such as artificial intelligence, robotics and health care.
These partnerships are critical to Vision 2030’s goal of building a skilled and diversified workforce.
“Educational collaboration is an area where UK institutions can bring real value,” Lucy Harper, managing director of Tech Frontier UK, told Arab News on Tuesday.
“With Saudi Arabia focusing on human capital development, we are seeing opportunities to engage in programs that drive innovation and prepare the workforce for future challenges.”
Building on Vision 2030 success
Since the launch of Vision 2030 in 2016, Saudi Arabia has achieved significant progress in economic diversification.
According to official data, 87 percent of its 1,064 initiatives are either completed or on track, demonstrating the Kingdom’s dedication to transforming its economy and creating new opportunities for international investors.
This progress has positioned Saudi Arabia as a key destination for foreign investment.
The Kingdom has been actively fostering global partnerships, as reflected in its agreements with the UK. For example, trade between Saudi Arabia and the UK reached £17.2 billion in 2022, marking a 68 percent increase compared to the previous year.
With Saudi Arabia advancing its Vision 2030 reforms and the UK pursuing new trade partnerships post-Brexit, the bilateral relationship has continued to strengthen.
The focus on renewable energy and technology aligns with Saudi sustainability goals, while UK businesses have benefitted from opportunities in the Saudi Arabia’s $37.5 billion ICT market.
These agreements signal a clear commitment to innovation and sustainable economic growth.
RIYADH: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received a phone call from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday, Saudi Press Agency reported.
During the call, Prince Mohammed and Trudeau reviewed aspects of relations between their countries and ways to enhance them in a number of areas.
They also discussed developments in Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territories, developments in Syria, and topics of common interest.
The need to support efforts aimed at reducing escalation and achieving security, peace, and stability in the region was also discussed.
RIYADH: Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan and his Malaysian counterpart chaired the first meeting of the Saudi-Malaysian Coordination Council in Riyadh on Tuesday.
Following the meeting, Prince Faisal and Dato’ Seri Utama Hajji Mohamad bin Hajji Hasan, Malaysian minister of foreign affairs, signed a memorandum of understanding on mutual exemption from a short-stay visa for holders of diplomatic, private or official passports.
A second memorandum on social development was signed by Hasan and the Saudi deputy minister of human resources, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The Saudi-Malaysian Coordination Council discussed aspects of cooperation in political, security, trade, investment, Islamic affairs and socio-cultural sectors.
Prince Faisal and Hasan stressed the brotherly relations that connect Saudi Arabia and Malaysia and pledged to continue their joint coordination and support for their mutual interests in bilateral, regional, and international issues.
Mesaad Al-Sulaim, Saudi ambassador to Kuala Lumpur, and several other senior Saudi and Malaysian aides and officials, attended the meeting.
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Waleed Elkhereiji received the US Ambassador to the Kingdom Michael Ratney in Riyadh on Tuesday.
During the meeting, they discussed bilateral relations and ways to enhance them in various areas of cooperation, as well as prominent developments in regional and international arenas, the Foreign Ministry wrote on X.
Elkhereiji recently also met with Sudan’s Ambassador to the Kingdom Dafallah Al-Hajj Ali, and discussed the current developments in Sudan and the efforts addressed in their regard.
