Saudi-Argentinian Agreement to Promote Direct Investment

The Saudi Minister of Investment signs MoU with Argentinian Minister of Foreign Affairs International Trade and Worship. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Minister of Investment signs MoU with Argentinian Minister of Foreign Affairs International Trade and Worship. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT

Saudi-Argentinian Agreement to Promote Direct Investment

The Saudi Minister of Investment signs MoU with Argentinian Minister of Foreign Affairs International Trade and Worship. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
The Saudi Minister of Investment signs MoU with Argentinian Minister of Foreign Affairs International Trade and Worship. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Minister of Investment Eng. Khalid Al-Falih and Argentinian Minister of Foreign Affairs International Trade and Worship Santiago Andres Cafiero have signed a memorandum of understanding concerning cooperation to encourage direct investment between Saudi Arabia and Argentina.

The memorandum was reached during the Saudi delegation's visit to Latin American countries.

The ministers held a meeting in the attendance of several representatives from the private sector and Saudi and Argentinian companies.

Al-Falih and Cafiero discussed strengthening relations and boosting investment in the two countries through important projects in vital sectors and fields of joint interest.

The Saudi minister reviewed the Ministry's role in attracting investments, enabling sectors to grow, setting up regulations and policies, improving access to services through public-private sector partnerships, as well as carrying out the social and economic transformation envisaged in the Saudi Vision 2030.

The Ministry supports Saudi and foreign private sectors to develop and contribute to economic development and to make it easy to deal with the relevant authorities in the Kingdom and abroad.

Moreover, Al-Falih held a Saudi-Chilean investment roundtable meeting, in Chile's capital Santiago, that discussed investment opportunities and ways to advance the investment relationships between the two countries.

The meeting was held in the attendance of several government officials from both countries, in addition to the participation of the representatives of the private sector from the Kingdom and Chile.

During the meeting, the two countries discussed ways of enhancing the efforts to develop the economic and investment ties between Saudi Arabia and Chile. They also discussed ways to develop qualitative investments and empower the private sector to benefit from the investment opportunities of both countries.

The two sides have also discussed aspects of investment partnership in several fields with common interests, and ways to strengthen them.

Al-Falih has met with several Chilean ministers, such as Alberto van Klaveren, minister of foreign affairs, as well as Nicolás Grau, minister of economy, development, and tourism, in addition to Jessica Lopez Saffie, minister of public works.

The Saudi delegation also visited Paraguay to discuss reinforcing investments and to showcase the qualitative unprecedented opportunities of the Kingdom.

The Minister of Investment is heading a high-level delegation of a number of government agencies, national companies, and representatives of the private sector on an official tour to Latin American nations between July 31 and August 9.

The tour includes Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Argentina, Panama, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

The tour aims to strengthen investment relations, review the existing strategic partnership between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Latin American countries, and highlight the qualitative and unprecedented opportunities that the Kingdom abounds in all fields.



Saudi Giga-project Diriyah Agrees Deals Worth $1 bln with European Firms, Says CEO

Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of the Diriyah Gate Authority reacts during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of the Diriyah Gate Authority reacts during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
TT

Saudi Giga-project Diriyah Agrees Deals Worth $1 bln with European Firms, Says CEO

Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of the Diriyah Gate Authority reacts during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo
Jerry Inzerillo, Group CEO of the Diriyah Gate Authority reacts during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, April 28, 2024. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo

Diriyah, one of Saudi Arabia's giga-projects, has agreed deals worth nearly $1 billion with European firms and is in talks to attract more foreign capital, its CEO said.

Diriyah, located at a UNESCO World Heritage site outside the capital Riyadh, has been backed by PIF investments worth a total of around 20 billion riyals ($5.33 billion) in 2023 and 2024, and should get 12 billion riyals more next year, its CEO said.

It has recently agreed deals worth nearly $1 billion in total with an Italian developer and a French company and is in talks with several foreign investors looking to buy equity stakes in hotels and other real estate developments, Jerry Inzerillo told Reuters in New York this week.

"There's a lot of interest from America, a lot of interest from every country," he said. "We'll work with any country that can deliver quality and stay on time."

Foreign investors have already bought stakes in several projects in Diriyah, said Inzerillo, with more to come.

"A lot of people can see that it's built, it's doable; it's no longer renderings, no longer 'you wait and see' ... So now we're seeing a big spike in interest in foreign investment".

Inzerillo said investment priorities have changed because of upcoming events such as the Expo 2030 world fair, which Riyadh last year won the right to host. But the pace and scope of the Saudi giga-projects have not been scaled back, he said.

"It's a realignment, a re-prioritization ... not a reduction," he added.