Spain is the new destination for Saudi investment. Delegations from Saudi Arabia and Spain met to seek new opportunities for joint development in the industrial and mining sectors, one of the 12 areas that are of utmost importance within the Saudi State’s National Industry Strategy, which is part of the Vision 2030 programme.
The meeting brought together the Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources, Bandar Alkhorayef, the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Spain, Princess Haifa Bint Abdulaziz Al Mogrin, the Director General of the National Industrial Development Centre (NIDC), Saleh Al-Solami, with the Spanish Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, the Minister of Economy, Carlos Cuerpo, the Secretary of State for Economic Affairs of the Spanish President’s Office, Manuel de la Rocha, the President of the Senate Industry and Tourism Committee, Francisco Javier Lacalle, the Secretary of State for Energy, Sara Aagesen Muñoz, and the Director of the Spanish Geological and Mining Institute, Ana María Alonso Zarza.
The focus of the meeting was on exploring opportunities, promoting sustainable solutions within the industrial sector and encouraging Spanish mining companies to invest in Saudi mining – PHOTO/SOCIAL NETWORKS
The focus of the meeting was on exploring opportunities, promoting sustainable solutions within the industrial sector and encouraging Spanish mining companies to invest in Saudi mining.
Spain is one of the countries with the largest production of drones specialised in the industrial sector in the world. Aware of this, Saudi Minister Alkhorayef met with the leaders of major companies such as Drone Hopper, a startup, Ferroglobe, the largest supplier of silicon in Spain, and Reinosa Forgin & Casting, dedicated to manufacturing large parts, all of them leaders in the sectors of shipbuilding, automotive engineering and geological surveys. Other companies met were IDIADA and Xcalibur.
The Saudi Minister of Tourism discussed how to strengthen economic ties between the two countries at the headquarters of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce – PHOTO/SOCIAL NETWORKS
During the three-day visit, the minister met with Ana Maria Alonso Zarza, the head of the mining industry in Spain, to collaborate on the provision of high quality geological data and research for various applications.
‘Our talks focused on discussing ways to enhance economic, trade and investment cooperation between the two sides, explore joint opportunities, especially in the industrial and mining sectors,’ Alkhorayef said.
اختتمت زيارتي الرسمية إلى إيطاليا، بعد سلسلة من اللقاءات المثمرة مع عدد من المسؤولين الحكوميين وقادة القطاع الخاص، بالإضافة إلى زيارات لعدد من الشركات الإيطالية، وذلك في إطار دعم جهود المملكة الرامية إلى تطوير قطاعي الصناعة والتعدين، وتعزيز علاقاتها مع الدول الصناعية الرائدة pic.twitter.com/brRffirdEz
— بندر إبراهيم الخريف Bandar Alkhorayef (@BAlkhorayef) October 17, 2024
With a focus on economic diversification, the Saudi delegation aims to attract investment that will encourage the growth of Saudi industry with the aim of decoupling the economy from its current dependence on hydrocarbons.
Through the Saudi-Spanish Business Council, the Saudi Minister of Tourism discussed how to strengthen economic ties between the two countries at the headquarters of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce. The delegation visited IE University in Madrid in order to greet Saudi students training in Spain, and to visit exhibitions at the Spanish Geological and Mining Institute.
‘I am always happy to meet our young students on every foreign visit I make, and I reaffirmed this during my meeting with a distinguished group of them in the capital of Spain, Madrid, and I will always be proud of their high ambitions and great aspirations to contribute to building the future of their country,’ Alkhorayef stressed.
Minister of Tourism Bandar Alkhorayef and Ambassador Princess Haifa Bint Abdulaziz Al Mogrin – PHOTO/SOCIAL NETWORKS
Finally, the delegation signed a tripartite cooperation contract with the Institute of Food Industries and the GEA with two objectives: to expand and improve human capital through the inclusion of new training programmes and workshops.
He also took the opportunity to hand over invitations to general managers and members of the government to attend the Future Minerals Forum to be held in the Saudi Arabian country between 14 and 16 January in the capital Riyadh.
Prior to the tour of Spain, the Saudi delegation visited Italy in search of investors who were offered strategic opportunities in energy security.