Industry Minister: Saudi Arabia's Participation at Davos Confirms Its Role in Facing Global Challenges

Participants arrive at the Davos Conference Center. (AP)
Participants arrive at the Davos Conference Center. (AP)
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Industry Minister: Saudi Arabia's Participation at Davos Confirms Its Role in Facing Global Challenges

Participants arrive at the Davos Conference Center. (AP)
Participants arrive at the Davos Conference Center. (AP)

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar AlKhorayef said the Kingdom's participation in the World Economic Forum 2024 annual meeting in Davos confirms its important role in facing many global challenges.

It showcases Saudi Arabia's significant role in addressing global challenges, particularly in supply chains and capacity building.

Speaking to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), AlKhorayef explained that Vision 2030 aligns with significant global issues such as climate change, sustainable development, and innovation.

He further noted that the Kingdom's engagement at Davos provides an opportunity for communication with key players in the private sector worldwide.

Saudi participation aims to foster cooperation on these issues and enhance economic and development initiatives in various sectors of the Kingdom, including industry, mining, research, development, and innovation.

AlKhorayef stated that Saudi Arabia remains committed to achieving its economic diversification plans and creating new job opportunities for its citizens through investments in new industries based on the Fourth Industrial Revolution technologies of innovation and technology.

He highlighted that the Davos meeting is a platform to showcase Saudi Arabia's significant efforts and essential progress.

The minister also underscored the essential role of international partnerships in addressing contemporary challenges, particularly in food, water, energy, and the security of sustainable global supply chains.

He concluded that building international partnerships helps ensure reliable access to vital minerals, which play a crucial role in supporting global trends toward clean energy transformation.



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
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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.