Egypt Looks Forward to Arab Industrial Integration

The Egyptian Ministers of Industry, Supply and Finance during the inauguration of 13th Kuwait Week Exhibition in Egypt on Tuesday, December 20, 2022. (Asharq Al-Awsat) 
The Egyptian Ministers of Industry, Supply and Finance during the inauguration of 13th Kuwait Week Exhibition in Egypt on Tuesday, December 20, 2022. (Asharq Al-Awsat) 
TT

Egypt Looks Forward to Arab Industrial Integration

The Egyptian Ministers of Industry, Supply and Finance during the inauguration of 13th Kuwait Week Exhibition in Egypt on Tuesday, December 20, 2022. (Asharq Al-Awsat) 
The Egyptian Ministers of Industry, Supply and Finance during the inauguration of 13th Kuwait Week Exhibition in Egypt on Tuesday, December 20, 2022. (Asharq Al-Awsat) 

Egypt’s Minister of Trade and Industry Ahmed Samir inaugurated on Tuesday the 13th Kuwait Week Exhibition in Cairo. 

More than 60 major Egyptian and Kuwaiti companies have taken part in the two-day event, which is held under the theme “Kuwait in Egypt” and organized by the Kuwaiti embassy in Cairo and Jabriya Exhibition Group.

Ministers of supply, finance, civil aviation, immigration and public business sector also attended the opening ceremony.

Samir said Cairo is keen to bolster economic cooperation and integration among Arab states, which would contribute to achieving food security and launching an industrial system based on exchanging expertise, technologies, and production inputs to reach the level of Arab industrial integration.

“Egypt and Kuwait enjoy strong economic relations at the bilateral and multilateral levels, in line with the Greater Arab Free Trade Area (GAFTA) agreement,” Samir said, noting that the two countries also play an important role within the joint Arab action system.

He pointed to the investment opportunities available in Egypt for Kuwait’s business community in various productive and service sectors to provide the needs of the Egyptian market and export to foreign markets,

Samir indicated that the products manufactured in Egypt have free access to many markets and major economic blocs across the world thanks to the preferential free trade agreements signed between Egypt and these countries and blocs.

He said that the event represents an economic bridge that helps boost bilateral economic cooperation in various fields and at different levels.

“Both governments are keen to take advantage of the great potentials and capabilities enjoyed by Egypt and Kuwait and translate them into tangible cooperation projects that serve their people’s interests.”

He underlined the common visions between Kuwaiti and Egyptian officials that stress the importance of strengthening joint efforts to address the negative repercussions of the current global economic crisis resulting from the coronavirus pandemic and the Russian-Ukrainian crisis.

The volume of trade exchange between Egypt and Kuwait amounted to about $306 million in 2021, compared to about $252 million in 2020, up 21.4%.

Meanwhile, the volume of trade exchange between the two countries amounted to about $401 million during the first 11 months of 2022.

Kuwait's Ambassador to Egypt Ghanim al-Ghanim, for his part, said holding the event in Cairo underscored the importance of boosting joint cooperation in various fields and at various levels.

He said the event is an expo of Kuwaiti and Egyptian industry, trade, investment, banking, medicine, tourism, media, culture and communication businesses and government bodies.



Saudi Arabia and Italy Boast Trade Volume of Around $10.9 Billion

Saudi and Italian officials meet during Meloni's visit to the Kingdom on Sunday. (SPA)
Saudi and Italian officials meet during Meloni's visit to the Kingdom on Sunday. (SPA)
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Saudi Arabia and Italy Boast Trade Volume of Around $10.9 Billion

Saudi and Italian officials meet during Meloni's visit to the Kingdom on Sunday. (SPA)
Saudi and Italian officials meet during Meloni's visit to the Kingdom on Sunday. (SPA)

Economic affairs were the key focus of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s visit to Saudi Arabia, which began on Saturday and continues until Monday. During her first official trip to the Kingdom, Meloni aims to strengthen bilateral relations and boost trade ties before heading to Bahrain.

As members of the G20, Saudi Arabia and Italy share mutual economic interests. The establishment of the Saudi-Italian Joint Committee has played a pivotal role in advancing economic, trade, and investment relations between the two countries. It has also created effective governance frameworks to foster collaboration and elevate their relationship to the level of a strategic partnership.

Strategic partnerships

Saudi Arabia is Italy’s second-largest trading partner in the region. In 2023, the trade volume between the two countries reached around $10.8 billion. Saudi imports from Italy were valued at $5.875 billion, while exports to Italy amounted to $4.921 billion, including $737 million in non-oil exports. Globally, Italy ranks as the 10th largest exporter to the Kingdom.

Both nations are working to strengthen economic and investment ties by regularly convening the Saudi-Italian Joint Business Council, increasing official and trade delegation visits, encouraging joint ventures, and organizing trade and investment events.

Currently, more than 150 Italian companies operate in Saudi Arabia, with Italy’s foreign direct investment (FDI) stock in the Kingdom exceeding $4.6 billion.

Renewable energy cooperation

Saudi Arabia and Italy are collaborating in the renewable energy sector as the Kingdom focuses on its transition to carbon neutrality. Italy, with its extensive experience in renewable energy technologies, is seeking to establish a long-term partnership with the Kingdom, a potential future leader in green hydrogen production.

In September 2023, the Saudi-Italian Investment Forum, hosted in Milan by Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Investment in partnership with Italy’s Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy, resulted in the signing of 21 agreements and memorandums of understanding. They covered sectors such as traditional and clean energy, healthcare, real estate, waste management, and more.

According to the Italian government, Italy views Saudi Arabia as a key partner, especially regarding investment opportunities tied to the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. The transformative reform plan aims to diversify the Saudi economy, shifting its reliance from oil to a service-based model. It emphasizes tourism, startups, and small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in high-value-added sectors.

Saudi Arabia ranks sixth globally in terms of the number of visas issued by Italy, underscoring Italy’s position as a leading destination for Saudi tourists.

Italy is also among the top 20 countries investing in Saudi Arabia, with over 150 Italian companies holding foreign investment licenses in the Kingdom. The Saudi-Italian Investment Forum in 2023 further solidified economic ties, with the signing of 21 agreements spanning a wide range of sectors.