Arab News

Europe to launch chamber of commerce in Riyadh

- Noor Nugali Riyadh

The first European Chamber of Commerce in the Gulf region will open next week in Riyadh, the EU’s special representa­tive for the Gulf region has told Arab News.

Luigi Di Maio said the new body would bring Saudi and European companies together to enhance trade and cooperatio­n.

“We’ve worked very hard with the Ministry of Investment, your Ministry of Trade. The EU delegation in Riyadh did a great job. And now we are going to inaugurate this chamber,” Di Maio said.

“That is in order to bring closer our companies, Saudi companies and European companies, to take on both sides the new opportunit­ies of the Vision 2030 program … of our new European Green Deal, Next Generation EU, and others.” Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 reform program had transforme­d the global business community’s view of the Kingdom, Di Maio said.

“The ambitions, especially economic ambitions, of Saudi Arabia are totally changing perception­s of the Kingdom around the world,” he said.

“There is a business community that is more and more interested in these ambitions, in this vision, and in a new generation of dreamers in this country.”

There was a growing recognitio­n of the Kingdom’s diplomatic and economic influence, Di Maio said. “Saudi Arabia is becoming more and more the point of reference because now it is implementi­ng its vision for the region that is not just an economic ambition, but is a new policy and new initiative­s in order to de-escalate, to make the region in peace and wind down on tensions like the tension that we are experienci­ng now.

“The partnershi­p and the strategic partnershi­p between the EU and GCC countries, in particular with countries like Saudi Arabia, is vital.”

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