Saudi-Uzbek Committee Discusses Investment Opportunities Worth $31 Bn

Saudi Minister of Investment Engineer Khalid al-Falih and Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev during the meeting of the Saudi-Uzbek Joint Committee (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of Investment Engineer Khalid al-Falih and Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev during the meeting of the Saudi-Uzbek Joint Committee (Asharq Al-Awsat)
TT
20

Saudi-Uzbek Committee Discusses Investment Opportunities Worth $31 Bn

Saudi Minister of Investment Engineer Khalid al-Falih and Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev during the meeting of the Saudi-Uzbek Joint Committee (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of Investment Engineer Khalid al-Falih and Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Khodjaev during the meeting of the Saudi-Uzbek Joint Committee (Asharq Al-Awsat)

The Saudi-Uzbek Joint Committee is set to discuss 50 potential investment opportunities worth approximately $31 billion in Uzbekistan, Minister of Investment Khalid al-Falih has announced.

The Committee held its sixth meeting in Riyadh, chaired by Falih from the Saudi side and the Deputy Prime Minister, Jamshid Khodjaev, from the Uzbek side.

Falih pointed out that these projects aim to achieve the target of $110 billion in foreign investments within the goals of the Uzbekistan 2030 strategy.

The Saudi Minister emphasized the compatibility of economic goals through Uzbekistan's National Development Strategy 2023-2030, the Kingdom's Vision 2030, and the National Investment Strategy.

He also pledged full support for the efforts of the Saudi-Uzbek Business Council, which plays a crucial role in bringing together the private sectors of both countries.

The meeting aimed to identify specific areas of cooperation between the two countries.

The meeting discussed several topics related to developing bilateral cooperation in the economic, trade, and investment fields. It also reviewed the promising investment opportunities between the two countries and the business environment in both nations.

The meeting stressed the importance of strengthening joint work and pushing relations to new and promising horizons, boosting the economic and social partnership between the two countries and transferring it to a broader scope.

It also addressed the continued work to enable partnership between the private sector, encourage mutual investments, enhance trade exchange, and overcome any challenges facing the development of economic relations.

Furthermore, the two sides praised the joint projects and investments in energy, renewable energy, health, infrastructure, agriculture, and human resources development.

The meeting concluded with the signing of several memorandums of understanding between the private sectors of the two countries and the minutes of the sixth committee meeting that included multiple joint initiatives and work programs.



Alkhorayef: Saudi Arabia Making Confident Strides Toward Localizing Automotive Industry

Alkhorayef spoke on Wednesday at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Hyundai plant at King Salman Automotive Cluster in King Abdullah Economic City in Jeddah. SPA
Alkhorayef spoke on Wednesday at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Hyundai plant at King Salman Automotive Cluster in King Abdullah Economic City in Jeddah. SPA
TT
20

Alkhorayef: Saudi Arabia Making Confident Strides Toward Localizing Automotive Industry

Alkhorayef spoke on Wednesday at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Hyundai plant at King Salman Automotive Cluster in King Abdullah Economic City in Jeddah. SPA
Alkhorayef spoke on Wednesday at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Hyundai plant at King Salman Automotive Cluster in King Abdullah Economic City in Jeddah. SPA

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef has said the Kingdom is making “confident strides” at an accelerated pace to localize the automotive industry.

Alkhorayef spoke on Wednesday at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Hyundai plant at King Salman Automotive Cluster in King Abdullah Economic City in Jeddah.

He said the Kingdom’s efforts will create added value for the national economy and enhance its global competitiveness in line with the objectives of Saudi Vision 2030.

The plant is being built under a strategic partnership between the Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Hyundai Motor Company, a move that supports the localization of the automotive industry in the Kingdom and advances economic diversification.

The minister described the initiative as an important milestone in the journey to localize the automotive industry due to its significant impact.

He added that it will enhance industrial capabilities, strengthen supply chains, localize production, and develop local content, meeting local and regional demand for automobiles and consolidating the Kingdom's position as a global hub for the automotive industry.

He praised PIF’s role in driving industrial transformation and empowering high-value sectors with tangible economic impact in the Kingdom and the region.

He also highlighted the importance of integrated efforts by all relevant government entities in advancing the localization of the automotive industry, including the establishment of the Hyundai plant.

He thanked the Ministries of Investment, Energy, and Finance; the Ministry of Economy and Planning; the National Industrial Development Center; and the Saudi Industrial Development Fund.

Alkhorayef stressed that the project aligns with the Kingdom's accelerating industrial goals and its vision to transform ambitions into reality.

The National Industrial Strategy aims to attract three global automotive manufacturers to produce 300,000 vehicles annually within a single industrial complex, a goal now realized with Hyundai joining Lucid and Ceer.

The factory is projected to produce 50,000 vehicles annually and contribute approximately $5 billion to the Kingdom's gross domestic product (GDP) by 2045.

Hyundai has had a presence in the Saudi market for over 40 years and currently holds the second-largest market share in the Kingdom’s automotive sector.