Saudi Arabia, US Discuss Supporting Growth of Digital Economy in the Region

The Saudi Minister of Communications and Information  met in Washington with the US Secretary of Commerce. SPA
The Saudi Minister of Communications and Information met in Washington with the US Secretary of Commerce. SPA
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Saudi Arabia, US Discuss Supporting Growth of Digital Economy in the Region

The Saudi Minister of Communications and Information  met in Washington with the US Secretary of Commerce. SPA
The Saudi Minister of Communications and Information met in Washington with the US Secretary of Commerce. SPA

Saudi Minister of Communications and Information Technology Eng. Abdullah bin Amer Al-Sawah has met in Washington with the US Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo.

Friday’s meeting was attended by Princess Reema bint Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, the Saudi Ambassador to the US.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed strengthening the strategic partnership between the Kingdom and the US to support the growth of the digital economy in the region, as Saudi Arabia is a pivotal hub for technology and innovation.

They also discussed the acceleration of the growth of modern technologies to serve scientific and technical progress in various sectors, highlighting the expanding investment opportunities in the digital economy between the two countries.

Al-Sawah also held separate talks with White House officials.

Al-Sawah met with deputy national security advisor for cyber and emerging technology Anne Neuberger to discuss enhancing partnerships in the fifth- and sixth-generation technologies.
The minister also met with special presidential coordinator for global infrastructure and energy security Amos Hochstein and National Security Council Middle East and North Africa coordinator Brett McGurk to discuss cooperation in digital economy and innovation.
At a separate meeting with Chirag Parikh, the executive secretary of the White House National Space Council, Al-Sawah discussed joint investments in space economies and technologies and developing national talents.



China Expands Visa-free Entry to More Countries in Bid to Boost Economy

Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
TT

China Expands Visa-free Entry to More Countries in Bid to Boost Economy

Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
Shoppers with their purchased goods walk past a popular outdoor shopping mall in Beijing, on Nov. 14, 2024. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

China announced Friday that it would expand visa-free entry to citizens of nine more countries as it seeks to boost tourism and business travel to help revive a sluggish economy.
Starting Nov. 30, travelers from Bulgaria, Romania, Malta, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Estonia, Latvia and Japan will be able to enter China for up to 30 days without a visa, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said.
That will bring to 38 the number of countries that have been granted visa-free access since last year. Only three countries had visa-free access previously, and theirs had been eliminated during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The permitted length of stay for visa-free entry is being increased from the previous 15 days, Lin said, and people participating in exchanges will be eligible for the first time. China has been pushing people-to-people exchange between students, academics and others to try to improve its sometimes strained relations with other countries, The Associated Press reported.
China strictly restricted entry during the pandemic and ended its restrictions much later than most other countries. It restored the previous visa-free access for citizens of Brunei and Singapore in July 2023, and then expanded visa-free entry to six more countries — France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Malaysia — on Dec. 1 of last year.
The program has since been expanded in tranches. Some countries have announced visa-free entry for Chinese citizens, notably Thailand, which wants to bring back Chinese tourists.
For the three months from July through September this year, China recorded 8.2 million entries by foreigners, of which 4.9 million were visa-free, the official Xinhua News Agency said, quoting a Foreign Ministry consular official.