Today, Monday, Saudi Minister of Investment Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih opened the Saudi-European Investment Forum held in Riyadh. In his opening speech, the Minister highlighted the qualitative and historical transformation taking place in the Kingdom, noting its economic diversity and the rapid improvement of the business environment and its global competitiveness. Al-Falih affirmed that the partnership with European Union countries is important and strong, mentioning that more than 1,300 European companies have invested in the Kingdom, while also pointing out significant Saudi investments in most European Union countries.
He explained that foreign direct investment from the European Union to the Kingdom showed robust growth in 2022 compared to the previous year, across various sectors, indicating that trade between the Kingdom and the European Union reached 80 billion euros during the same period, representing a 30 percent annual growth.
The forum will cover various topics, including the transition to clean energy, zero-neutral industries, and natural resources in the Kingdom, as well as transportation and infrastructure. Participants will also discuss mining, manufacturing, supply chains, tourism, culture, sports, small and medium enterprises, entrepreneurship, and the health sector, including services, industry, and biotechnology, in addition to the digital economy and artificial intelligence. It is worth noting that the forum will witness the signing of several partnership agreements and memoranda of understanding in various fields between governmental and private entities, in addition to workshops addressing various sectors.
