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Saudi Arabia, Russia Discuss Project to Enter Africa’s Agricultural Market

Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman al-Fadley. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman al-Fadley. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia, Russia Discuss Project to Enter Africa’s Agricultural Market

Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman al-Fadley. (SPA)
Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman al-Fadley. (SPA)

Saudi Arabia and Russia expressed on Monday their desire to cooperate in agriculture investments that could later on enter Africa. Top agriculture officials from both sides confirmed that the partnership between the two countries enables engaging in such initiatives and achieving access to African markets.

Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture Abdulrahman al-Fadley said the Kingdom is strategically positioned to implement such projects, stressing that part of the strategic vision of the Kingdom is to increase the added value of the product and services, benefit all stakeholders and to benefit from present comparative advantages.

He pointed out that opportunity exists for agriculture production and trade to be carried out externally. This means that the Kingdom can receive agricultural commodities from Russia and then prepare them for re-export to other markets.

Russian Agriculture Minister Dmitry Patrushev revealed his country’s desire to attract Saudi investments in the wide field of agriculture, which includes food staples, meat, dairy products and vegetable and fruit crops.

Patrushev added that Russia has land plots ready for investment, as well as qualified and professional companies in the agricultural field.

The minister also lauded Russian companies and farmers for achieving tangible successes in conserving land fertility and developing fertilizers.

SALIC, formed in 2011 to secure food supplies for the Kingdom through mass production and foreign investments, has been looking at expanding in Russia and Ukraine, both major Black Sea grain producers and exporters, for several years.

SALIC is considering investing in Russian agriculture projects near the Black Sea, the RIA news agency quoted SALIC Managing Director Khaled al-Aboodi as saying.

“We believe that the Black Sea region of Russia is a very important region, and we want to invest there,” he said.

Patrushev was in Saudi Arabia on Monday as a part of a delegation that was accompanying Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Kingdom, on his first visit in 12 years.

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Saudi Arabia Makes History with Adoption of Riyadh Treaty on Design Law

Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Makes History with Adoption of Riyadh Treaty on Design Law

Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Photo of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia has made history by uniting the 193 member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) to adopt the Riyadh Treaty on Design Law. This landmark achievement, realized after two decades of deliberation, underscores the Kingdom’s leadership in enhancing the global intellectual property system.

The announcement came at the conclusion of the Riyadh Diplomatic Conference on the Design Law Treaty, a rare event for WIPO, which has not held a diplomatic conference outside Geneva for more than a decade. It was also the first such event hosted in Saudi Arabia and the Middle East, representing the final stage of negotiations to establish an agreement aimed at simplifying and standardizing design protection procedures across member states.

Over the past two weeks, intensive discussions and negotiations among member states culminated in the adoption of the Riyadh Treaty, which commits signatory nations to a unified set of requirements for registering designs, ensuring consistent and streamlined procedures worldwide. The agreement is expected to have a significant positive impact on designers, enabling them to protect their creations more effectively and uniformly across international markets.

At a press conference held on Friday to mark the event’s conclusion, CEO of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property Abdulaziz Al-Suwailem highlighted the economic potential of the new protocol.

Responding to a question from Asharq Al-Awsat, Al-Suwailem noted the substantial contributions of young Saudi men and women in creative design. He explained that the agreement will enable their designs to be formally protected, allowing them to enter markets as valuable, tradable assets.

He also emphasized the symbolic importance of naming the convention the Riyadh Treaty, stating that it reflects Saudi Arabia’s growing influence as a bridge between cultures and a global center for innovative initiatives.

The treaty lays critical legal foundations to support designers and drive innovation worldwide, aligning with Saudi Arabia’s vision of promoting international collaboration in the creative industries and underscoring its leadership in building a sustainable future for innovators.

The agreement also advances global efforts to enhance creativity, protect intellectual property, and stimulate innovation on a broader scale.

This achievement further strengthens Saudi Arabia’s position as a global hub for groundbreaking initiatives, demonstrating its commitment to nurturing creativity, safeguarding designers’ rights, and driving the development of creative industries on an international scale.

The Riyadh Diplomatic Conference, held from November 11 to 22, was hosted by the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property and attracted high-ranking officials and decision-makers from WIPO member states.