Saudi Arabia, US Plan to Promote Promising Sectors

Saudi Minister of Commerce Majid al-Qasabi during his meetings on Thursday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of Commerce Majid al-Qasabi during his meetings on Thursday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia, US Plan to Promote Promising Sectors

Saudi Minister of Commerce Majid al-Qasabi during his meetings on Thursday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi Minister of Commerce Majid al-Qasabi during his meetings on Thursday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Minister of Commerce Majid al-Qasabi met with US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo in Washington on Thursday to discuss advancing bilateral trade relations.

Qasabi, who headed a delegation from the Kingdom, said the talks are part of both countries' keenness to increase coordination according to a joint action plan that can raise the commercial exchange opportunities in several promising economic sectors.

The targeted sectors include: building the green economy, strengthening the role of women in doing business, developing small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and promoting innovation.

Later, the Saudi Minister met with the President and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) Reta Jo Lewis to discuss boosting the economic partnership.

The delegations also held bilateral meetings with several officials at the US Department of Commerce to enhance communication at all levels and reviewed the top reforms implemented to increase Saudi Arabia's competitiveness.

The Saudi delegates and US officials tackled bilateral ties and promising opportunities in hydrogen production and waste management, as well as promoting innovations through protecting intellectual property.

They addressed bolstering the knowledge economy based on artificial intelligence, cloud storage, data flow, developing SMEs, and women's role and participation in economic development.

The delegation included Governor of the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) Saad al-Qasabi, CEO of the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SIAP) Abdulaziz al-Suwailem, and representatives from several ministries, the Small and Medium Enterprises General Authority (Monshaat), Saudi Authority for Data and Artificial Intelligence (SDAIA), the General Authority for Foreign Trade, National Competitiveness Center (NCC), Saudi Aramco, and Saudi Investment Recycling Company (SIRC).



Davos to Welcome Trump Virtually as World Leaders Await New US President’s Policies

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during an election night event at the West Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on November 6, 2024. (AFP)
Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during an election night event at the West Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on November 6, 2024. (AFP)
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Davos to Welcome Trump Virtually as World Leaders Await New US President’s Policies

Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during an election night event at the West Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on November 6, 2024. (AFP)
Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks during an election night event at the West Palm Beach Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, on November 6, 2024. (AFP)

Donald Trump will mark his return to the global stage with a virtual World Economic Forum appearance in Davos next week, as world leaders await details of the incoming US President's policies and his pledge to end the war in Ukraine.

Trump is due to return to the White House on Jan. 20, with his inauguration for a second term as US President coinciding with the start of the 55th annual WEF meeting of political and business leaders in the Swiss mountain resort.

Meanwhile, another key player in any attempt to bring peace to Ukraine, the country's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, will make a special address and take questions, the WEF meeting organizers said on Tuesday.

Among the other global leaders due to attend the meeting, which will include 60 heads of state and government, are European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and China's vice premier Ding Xuexiang, WEF President and CEO Borge Brende said during a press conference.

Brende said Trump, who has twice previously attended Davos, will join "digitally" on Jan. 23, without giving further details. He said it would be a "very special moment" to learn about the new Trump administration's policy priorities.

"There is a lot of interest to decipher and to understand the policies of the new administration, so it will be an interesting week," Brende said.

Topics on the Davos agenda range from mounting global geopolitical and economic uncertainty to trade tensions, climate goals and how AI can help make lives better.

Business leaders have become more optimistic about the economy given Trump's pledges to reduce regulation, potentially cut taxes and ease restrictions on activities including mergers and acquisitions, Rich Lesser, global chair of Boston Consulting Group, told Reuters ahead of the meeting.

Lesser said, however, that underlying optimism is being offset by concerns about tariffs, deportations, a widening budget deficit and the US relationship with China.

MIDDLE EAST

This year's meeting in Davos is taking place against "the most complicated geopolitical backdrop in generations," Brende said, adding that the forum will have a strong focus on Middle East geopolitics, including high-level diplomatic talks.

Delegates will discuss developments in Syria and the humanitarian crises in Gaza and Yemen alongside other topics.

Participants will include Qatar's Prime Minister, the Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister, Syria's foreign minister, the UN special envoy on Syria, the Iranian Vice President, Israel's President and the Palestinian Prime Minister.

"There will be a hard work at the situation in Syria, the terrible humanitarian situation in Gaza ... the potential escalation of the conflict in the Middle East. We were very close to it between Israel and Iran, and I don't think we're out of the woods yet," Brende said.

CLIMATE

The WEF will this week release an analysis looking at companies that account for two-thirds of global market capitalization, which will show that only about 10% are taking meaningful and tangible action on the climate and nature agenda.

Business and political leaders gathering in Davos from Jan. 20 to Jan. 24 are also due to discuss how to ensure energy remains affordable, secure and green and the challenges preventing acceleration of efforts towards energy transition.

"We’re in a really challenging moment for climate, where countries are asking if other nations are doing their share," said Boston Consulting Group's Lesser.