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).



Yemen Minister: We Aim to Invest in Lithium Reserves for Renewable Energy

Yemeni Oil and Minerals Minister Saeed Al-Shammasi
Yemeni Oil and Minerals Minister Saeed Al-Shammasi
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Yemen Minister: We Aim to Invest in Lithium Reserves for Renewable Energy

Yemeni Oil and Minerals Minister Saeed Al-Shammasi
Yemeni Oil and Minerals Minister Saeed Al-Shammasi

Yemen has reserves of lithium, a key mineral for battery and electric vehicle production, according to preliminary studies, Oil and Minerals Minister Saeed Al-Shammasi said.

The findings underscore the urgent need for investment and infrastructure development.

Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat on the sidelines of the Fourth International Ministerial Meeting at the International Mining Conference in Riyadh on Tuesday, Al-Shammasi revealed that the initial studies identified lithium reserves, a critical component in the production of batteries and solar panels.

“We also have copper reserves, but they require significant investment and infrastructure development,” he added.

Al-Shammasi said he met with Saudi Industry and Mineral Resources Minister Bandar Alkhorayef to explore collaboration opportunities with investors in the Kingdom.

He also announced a forthcoming meeting with the head of Saudi Arabia’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry to discuss joint projects.

“Recently, a Saudi-Yemeni Business Council was established to support the creation of joint ventures across various sectors,” he noted.

Al-Shammasi also highlighted the importance of the event, which builds on discussions from its previous edition. He said three new initiatives were introduced, focusing on investment in critical minerals essential for energy industries.

“These minerals will play a major role in the global energy landscape over the next 50 years, as countries seek to reduce dependence on oil,” Al-Shammasi said, emphasizing the need for investments and supportive legislation from resource-rich nations.

He stressed the importance of advanced technologies in modern mining and praised Saudi Arabia’s efforts, including the establishment of new research centers in the field.

Al-Shammasi further noted that the mining industry is helping reduce environmental pollution by leveraging alternative energy sources and critical minerals, aligning with the global shift away from traditional raw materials in sectors such as battery production and electric vehicles.