S. Korea Keen on Investing in Saudi Mega Projects

Saudi and South Korean officials meet in Riyadh on Sunday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi and South Korean officials meet in Riyadh on Sunday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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S. Korea Keen on Investing in Saudi Mega Projects

Saudi and South Korean officials meet in Riyadh on Sunday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Saudi and South Korean officials meet in Riyadh on Sunday. (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia and South Korea are seeking to strengthen investment partnerships, develop infrastructure, and exploit modern technologies in several sectors, including transportation, logistics, smart cities, and housing.

A South Korean delegation, comprised of several officials and a group of private investors, is currently visiting the Kingdom.

South Korean companies are planning on taking part in the execution of mega Saudi projects by reviewing their expertise and available services can contribute in achieving Vision 2030.

Minister of Municipal and Rural Affairs and Housing Majed al-Hogail received South Korean Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong and his accompanying delegation.

They reviewed the relationship between the two countries and boosting the Saudi-South Korean cooperation in smart cities and housing and ways to develop the housing sector.

Hogail underscored South Korea’s interest in learning about the Saudi experience in smart cities and housing, hoping that the visit would achieve the goals of both governments and people in developing in all sectors.

Later, Saudi Minister of Transport and Logistic Services Saleh al-Jasser met with Won, his accompanying delegation, and a group of South Korean private investors.

They discussed ways to boost cooperation between their countries in transport and logistics services and several investment partnership opportunities.

The Ministry gave a presentation on the National Transport and Logistics Strategy and the opportunities, initiatives, programs, and major projects that are helping consolidate the Kingdom’s position as a global logistics hub linking three continents.

The meeting also reviewed modern technologies used by the system to upgrade all means of transport and transport services in general.

The Korean delegation reviewed its projects and the stages of development achieved in transportation.

A group of Korean companies gave presentations on their role in engineering and construction, smart building, mobility, smart cities, and information and communication technology.

The meeting sought to enhance cooperation between both countries and discuss ways to consolidate the relationship to help in achieving the objectives of the National Transport Strategy through the development of infrastructure and the application of advanced systems.

It sought to consolidate the effective partnership between the public and private sectors to achieve Vision 2030.

Korean companies are seeking, through their visit to Saudi Arabia, to participate in the implementation of development projects, given the great opportunities in the Kingdom and the mega projects under Vision 2030.



Second Boeing Jet Starts Return from China, Tracker Shows

FILE PHOTO: A Boeing 737 MAX plane, intended for China's Xiamen Airlines, arrives at King County International Airport after returning from China due to ongoing tariff disputes, in Seattle, Washington, US April 19, 2025. REUTERS/Dan Catchpole/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Boeing 737 MAX plane, intended for China's Xiamen Airlines, arrives at King County International Airport after returning from China due to ongoing tariff disputes, in Seattle, Washington, US April 19, 2025. REUTERS/Dan Catchpole/File Photo
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Second Boeing Jet Starts Return from China, Tracker Shows

FILE PHOTO: A Boeing 737 MAX plane, intended for China's Xiamen Airlines, arrives at King County International Airport after returning from China due to ongoing tariff disputes, in Seattle, Washington, US April 19, 2025. REUTERS/Dan Catchpole/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: A Boeing 737 MAX plane, intended for China's Xiamen Airlines, arrives at King County International Airport after returning from China due to ongoing tariff disputes, in Seattle, Washington, US April 19, 2025. REUTERS/Dan Catchpole/File Photo

A second Boeing jet intended for use by a Chinese airline was heading back to the US on Monday, flight tracking data showed, in what appears to be another victim of the tit-for-tat bilateral tariffs launched by President Donald Trump in his global trade offensive.
The 737 MAX 8 landed in the US territory of Guam on Monday, after leaving Boeing's Zhoushan completion center near Shanghai, data from flight tracking website AirNav Radar showed.
Guam is one of the stops such flights make on the 5,000-mile (8,000-km) journey across the Pacific between Boeing's US production hub in Seattle and the Zhoushan completion center, where planes are ferried by Boeing for final work and delivery to a Chinese carrier.
On Sunday a 737 MAX painted with the livery for China's Xiamen Airlines made the return journey from Zhoushan and landed at Seattle's Boeing Field.
It is not clear which party made the decision for the two aircraft to return to the US.
Boeing could find a replacement buyer in Malaysia Airlines, however, which has said it was talking to the manufacturer about acquiring jets that may become available should Chinese airlines stop taking deliveries.
Trump this month raised baseline tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%. In retaliation, China has imposed a 125% tariff on US goods. A Chinese airline taking delivery of a Boeing jet could be crippled by the tariffs, given that a new 737 MAX has a market value of around $55 million, according to IBA, an aviation consultancy.
The plane flew from Seattle to Zhoushan just under a month ago.
Boeing did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The return of the 737 MAX jets, Boeing's best-selling model, is the latest sign of disruption to new aircraft deliveries from a breakdown in the aerospace industry's decades-old duty-free status.
The tariff war and apparent U-turn over deliveries comes as Boeing has been recovering from an almost five-year import freeze on 737 MAX jets and a previous round of trade tensions.
Confusion over changing tariffs could leave many aircraft deliveries in limbo, with some airline CEOs saying they would defer delivery of planes rather than pay duties, analysts say.