Saudi investments in Tunisia have gathered momentum over recent years, placing the kingdom among the country’s top 10 foreign investors, with cumulative investments surpassing $375 million by the end of 2024.
The figures were disclosed at the Saudi-Tunisian Business Forum, held in Riyadh on Monday on the sidelines of the 12th session of the Saudi-Tunisian Joint Committee, where officials and business leaders met to explore ways to deepen investment ties between the two countries.
The forum was attended by Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef and Tunisia’s Minister of Economy and Planning, Dr. Samir Abdelhafidh.
The forum was organized by the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources in cooperation with the Ministry of Investment and the Federation of Saudi Chambers, with the participation of official delegations and more than 300 representatives from the public and private sectors in both countries.
High-level visits
In his opening remarks, Alkhorayef emphasized the strength of long-standing Saudi-Tunisian relations, which are rooted in the shared vision of the two countries’ leaderships and reinforced by high-level reciprocal visits.
He said these visits had formed a cornerstone in supporting economic momentum and driving recent growth in bilateral trade.
Alkhorayef described the Saudi Tunisian Business Forum as an important milestone for enhancing investment partnerships and transforming promising opportunities into projects with tangible economic impact.
“We are betting today on investors, business leaders, and private sector champions in both countries to lead growth in promising sectors, including advanced industries, tourism, renewable energy, and mining,” he said.
“Our role as governments is to enable, legislate, and facilitate procedures, while the private sector’s role is to build, innovate, and turn these enablers into productive projects, job opportunities, and shared success stories that reflect the value and depth of the partnership, toward comprehensive economic integration based on the competitive advantages of both countries.”
Investment fundamentals
For his part, Abdelhafidh said the Saudi Tunisian Business Forum serves as a practical platform for strengthening investment partnerships, noting the steady rise in Saudi investments in Tunisia in recent years, with the kingdom among the top 10 investing countries and total investments exceeding $375 million by the end of 2024.
He said Tunisia offers competitive investment fundamentals, including a strong pool of engineering and technical talent, as well as the capacity to absorb large-scale projects, particularly in renewable energy, automotive and aerospace components manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and the food industry.
Supply chains
In a related context, Saudi Tunisian Business Council Chairman Dr. Omar Al Ajaji highlighted the importance of the private sector’s role in strengthening economic cooperation between the two countries.
He said the forum helps business communities explore promising opportunities and opens broader horizons for integration in key sectors, particularly industry, technology, and supply chains.
Also speaking at the forum, Dr. Samir Majoul, President of the Tunisian Union of Industry, Trade, and Handicrafts, emphasized the need to create a regulatory environment conducive to investment and to establish sustainable strategic partnerships that foster trade and investment flows between the kingdom and Tunisia.
The Saudi-Tunisian Business Forum reflects the two countries’ shared vision of building effective investment partnerships that expand cooperation and economic integration, support growth in bilateral trade, align with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030, and advance comprehensive and sustainable development in both countries.
