Paris: Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef, along with a high-level delegation from Saudi Arabia's industry and mining sectors, commenced an official three-day visit to France, with scheduled engagements in Paris, Marseille, and Toulouse.
According to Saudi Press Agency, this visit, which will continue until May 7, aims to reinforce bilateral economic relations and enhance collaboration between Saudi Arabia and France in the industrial and mining sectors. The delegation is set to explore joint investment opportunities in strategic areas prioritized by the Kingdom for localization, particularly in the aviation and food industries.
During his visit, Alkhorayef is scheduled to engage in a series of bilateral meetings with French government officials and senior executives from leading French companies in the mining, aircraft manufacturing, and food sectors. Key discussions will be held with Minister of Economy, Finance, and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty Eric Lombard, and CEOs of major companies such as Airbus, Safran, Orano, Sidel, Lesaffre, and the Bel Group. The meetings will focus on expanding joint cooperation, attracting quality investments to Saudi Arabia, and forming effective partnerships to capitalize on promising opportunities within the Kingdom's specialized industrial clusters. The incentives and capabilities available to investors in Saudi Arabia will also be a point of discussion.
The itinerary for Alkhorayef's visit includes tours of Airbus's aircraft manufacturing facilities in Marseille and Toulouse, offering a chance to observe their industrial operations and production lines firsthand. The visit is anticipated to result in the signing of memoranda of understanding with French companies to promote joint investments, facilitate expertise exchange, and advance knowledge transfer in emerging industrial sectors.
Saudi Arabia and France enjoy robust economic ties, with Saudi non-oil exports to France surpassing SAR1.91 billion in 2024, mainly comprising machinery, electrical appliances, organic chemical products, and aluminum derivatives. In the same year, French non-oil imports amounted to SAR18.2 billion, with key imports including essential oils, electrical appliances, and pharmaceutical products.
Alkhorayef's official visit to France is aligned with the objectives of Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 initiative, which seeks to develop international partnerships to boost the competitiveness of the Saudi industrial sector and transform the Kingdom into a leading global industrial powerhouse. This involves localizing advanced strategic industries such as aviation and food, attracting high-quality investments, and facilitating the transfer of knowledge, technology, and innovation in these domains.