Saudi Arabia, South Korea Boost Ties with Several Agreements

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at the official reception (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at the official reception (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia, South Korea Boost Ties with Several Agreements

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at the official reception (SPA)
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol at the official reception (SPA)

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz received South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol where discussions focused on the bilateral ties and efforts to promote cooperation in various sectors.

The talks culminated in the signing of several bilateral agreements and memorandums of understanding (MoUs) in various fields.

An official reception ceremony was held in honor of the Korean President at al-Yamamah Palace in Riyadh.

The two leaders held an extensive meeting and a session of official talks. They explored opportunities to utilize the available resources in both countries to achieve mutual benefits.

They also discussed regional and international developments and issues of common interest.

The Crown Prince and the Korean President attended the signing ceremony of several bilateral agreements and MoUs between the two countries, including a draft MoU regarding establishing the Strategic Partnership Council between the two governments.

The deals also included the Hydrogen Oasis Initiative for cooperation in green and clean hydrogen and a deal to mutually exempt holders of diplomatic, private, and official passports from short-stay visa requirements.

A joint statistical cooperation program between the General Authority for Statistics of Saudi Arabia and Statistics Korea (KOSTAT) was also signed, as well as a MoU between the Saudi Food and Drug Authority and the Korean Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to strengthen cooperation in the fields of food and medical products.

The meetings were attended by Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, Minister of State and Member of the Cabinet Prince Turki bin Mohammed bin Fahd, Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal, Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif, Minister of National Guard Prince Abdullah bin Bandar, Foreign Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan, Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, along with several Saudi ministers and the accompanying delegation of the Korean President.

President Yoon Suk Yeol and his delegation arrived in Riyadh Saturday evening on a state visit to the Kingdom.



Saudi Arabia Calls on G20 Nations to Support UN Efforts in Measuring Corruption

Mazen Al-Kahmous, President of the Saudi Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (SPA)
Mazen Al-Kahmous, President of the Saudi Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Calls on G20 Nations to Support UN Efforts in Measuring Corruption

Mazen Al-Kahmous, President of the Saudi Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (SPA)
Mazen Al-Kahmous, President of the Saudi Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority (SPA)

Saudi Arabia on Thursday urged G20 nations to support the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in measuring corruption by exchanging information and best practices, contributing to sustainable development goals.

Mazen Al-Kahmous, President of Saudi Arabia’s Oversight and Anti-Corruption Authority, made the appeal during the third G20 Anti-Corruption Ministerial Meeting held in Natal, Brazil.

The meeting focused on cooperation in enforcing anti-corruption laws, enhancing accountability and transparency, recovering assets, and fighting all forms of corruption under international agreements. It also reviewed G20 accomplishments in these areas.

Al-Kahmous commended the Saudi leadership’s support for anti-corruption since the launch of Saudi Vision 2030, which established a national strategy and advanced partnerships and international cooperation against transnational corruption.

He highlighted the G20’s pivotal role in creating a fairer world and a sustainable future, noting initiatives like the GlobE Network, which aims to strengthen international cooperation, recover assets, and enable information exchange among relevant agencies.

Al-Kahmous expressed hope that G20 nations would play a central role in advancing the network, aligned with prior G20 agreements and the resolutions from the UN Convention against Corruption.

He stressed that the Global Program on Corruption Measurement seeks to address challenges and support countries, investors, donors, and other stakeholders in assessing anti-corruption efforts. He expressed hope that, by the end of its second phase, the program will provide reliable, transparent indicators that respect the political and legal diversity of each country.

The meeting approved the G20 Anti-Corruption Action Plan for 2025-2027, which emphasizes combating money laundering, ensuring transparency in beneficial ownership, and aligning with Financial Action Task Force (FATF) recommendations.

The G20 meeting, under Brazil’s presidency, also endorsed documents from the Anti-Corruption Working Group, including high-level principles for private sector incentives to adopt comprehensive integrity measures, along with the “2024 Accountability Report.”

Saudi Arabia initiated the first ministerial anti-corruption meeting during its G20 presidency in 2020 to strengthen political commitment to anti-corruption and enhance cooperation among member states.