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.
