Saudi Arabia Underscores its Continued Efforts to Resolve Sudan Crisis

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting that was held in Jeddah. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting that was held in Jeddah. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia Underscores its Continued Efforts to Resolve Sudan Crisis

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting that was held in Jeddah. (SPA)
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chairs the cabinet meeting that was held in Jeddah. (SPA)

The Saudi government underscored on Tuesday its ongoing efforts to resolve the crisis in Sudan and restore security and stability in the country.

Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, chaired the cabinet meeting that was held in Jeddah.

The government welcomed the outcomes of the second consultative meeting on boosting coordination on initiatives and peace efforts in Sudan.

The cabinet added that Saudi Arabia will continue to stand by Yemen and its people and encourage de-escalation efforts and preserve calm, hoping that this would pave the way for a comprehensive political solution under the UN-sponsored roadmap.

The ministers reviewed the contacts Saudi Arabia held over the past week with world countries with the aim of developing relations and cooperation in various fields.

The cabinet reviewed several periodic performance reports on the programs of the Saudi Vision 2030, whose many goals have already been realized.

It commended the swift advancement of housing and health sector transformation programs, notably in increasing homeownership rates among Saudi families, delivering thousands of housing units to developmental housing beneficiaries, and improving healthcare accessibility, quality, and life expectancy through efforts dedicated to public health and community vitality.

The cabinet discussed the Kingdom's high rankings in labor-market indicators issued by the World Economic Forum (WEF), highlighting the record-breaking increase in Saudis employed in the private sector. The number of Saudi workers in the private sector rose from 1.7 million in 2019 to over 2.3 million in 2024, while the unemployment rate decreased to 6.7% in the first quarter of 2024.

Moreover, the cabinet discussed the submission to FIFA of Saudi Arabia's bid to host the 2034 World Cup, reiterating the Kingdom's commitment to delivering an exceptional edition of the tournament.

It also praised UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee to add the "Cultural Landscape of Al-Faw Archaeological Area" in the Riyadh region to the World Heritage List. This is the eighth site in Saudi Arabia to be listed, achieving one of the goals of the Vision 2030.

It reviewed the outcomes of the Kingdom’s participation in the meetings held under the Group of Twenty (G20) framework, which highlighted its efforts and initiatives supporting the achievement of sustainable development goals (SDGs), continued economic progress, and the enhancement of global responses to humanitarian issues.

Reviewing the outcomes of the second Baghdad International Regional Conference on Combating Drugs, the Cabinet underlined the Kingdom's commitment to reinforcing international cooperation in this area and highlighted the success of the security campaign in confronting the threat of drugs and related crimes.



Saudi Industry, Mineral Resources Minister Begins Official Visit to France

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef. (SPA file photo)
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef. (SPA file photo)
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Saudi Industry, Mineral Resources Minister Begins Official Visit to France

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef. (SPA file photo)
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef. (SPA file photo)

Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef, leading a high-level delegation from the industry and mining sector, began an official three-day visit to France on Monday, with scheduled stops in Paris, Marseille, and Toulouse.

The visit aims to strengthen bilateral economic ties and foster cooperation between Saudi Arabia and France in the industrial and mining sectors, as well as explore joint investment opportunities in key strategic areas that the Kingdom is prioritizing for localization, particularly the aviation and food industries.

Alkhorayef will hold a series of bilateral meetings with French government officials and leaders of prominent global French companies in the mining, aircraft manufacturing, and food sectors. The meetings will include discussions with Minister of Economy, Finance, and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty Eric Lombard, as well as the CEOs of Airbus, Safran, Orano, Sidel, Lesaffre, and the Bel Group.

The agenda includes expanding joint cooperation in the industrial and mining sectors, attracting high-quality investments to the Kingdom, and building effective partnerships to leverage the promising opportunities offered by Saudi Arabia’s specialized industrial clusters. The Kingdom's incentives and capabilities available to investors will also be highlighted.

Alkhorayef's visit will feature tours of Airbus's aircraft manufacturing plants in Marseille and Toulouse, providing insights into their industrial facilities and production lines.

The visit is also expected to include the signing of memoranda of understanding with French companies to encourage joint investments, facilitate the exchange of expertise, and promote knowledge transfer in promising industrial sectors.

Saudi Arabia and France maintain strong economic relations, with Saudi non-oil exports to France exceeding SAR1.91 billion in 2024, primarily consisting of machinery and electrical appliances, organic chemical products, and aluminum and its derivatives. French non-oil imports reached SAR18.2 billion in the same year, with essential oils, electrical appliances, and pharmaceutical products among the most significant import sectors.

Alkhorayef's visit to France aligns with the objectives of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which emphasizes developing international partnerships to boost the competitiveness of the Saudi industrial sector and transform the Kingdom into a leading global industrial power. This includes localizing advanced strategic industries such as aviation and food, attracting high-quality investments, and facilitating the transfer of knowledge, technology, and innovation in these areas.