Washington: The second edition of the Saudi-U.S. Investment Forum opened on Wednesday in Washington under the theme ‘Leadership for Growth: Strengthening the Saudi-U.S. Economic Partnership.’ The event forms part of investment cooperation between the two countries, underpinned by a strong record of mutual understandings and renewed partnerships.
According to Saudi Press Agency, in his opening remarks, Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih noted that the official visit of President of the United States Donald Trump to Saudi Arabia in May, and the resulting commitments and significant investments in the technology sector, have set the stage for 2025 to be a pivotal year in the growth of economic cooperation between both countries. This progress will be highlighted during the forum, Al-Falih said, adding that the event will unveil a new package of high-value agreements across multiple sectors with a combined estimated worth of hundreds of billions of dollars.
His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, and President Trump will attend the forum, each delivering a keynote speech, the minister said. Their participation underscores the importance both leaderships attach to the event, as well as their shared commitment to exploring opportunities, deepening cooperation, and empowering the private sector.
Al-Falih emphasized that the Saudi-U.S. relationship, spanning more than nine decades, is among the most influential globally. The United States currently stands as the Kingdom’s largest foreign investor, with U.S. companies accounting for around a quarter of foreign investments in Saudi Arabia, the minister said, noting that most of these companies are among the participants in the forum.
Recent meetings hosted at the White House resulted in the signing of a series of strategic agreements between the two governments in areas including defense, AI, and supply chains for metals and vital materials, the minister said. Additionally, a Saudi-U.S. strategic framework was launched to accelerate investments by facilitating and expediting investment approvals on both sides.
Highlighting Saudi Arabia’s economic transformation under Saudi Vision 2030, Al-Falih stated that the Kingdom’s GDP, local investments, and stock of foreign direct investment have all multiplied since the vision’s launch. Annual foreign investment inflows have quadrupled, with around 90% directed to non-oil sectors.
These indicators, along with Saudi Arabia’s upgraded credit rating globally, low inflation, low debt-to-GDP ratio, and stable exchange rate, Al-Falih affirmed, create a stable, high-growth investment environment offering competitive returns and unprecedented opportunities for U.S. and other global investors.
In his opening remarks, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick stated that the presence of business leaders from both Saudi Arabia and the United States at the forum reflects the magnitude of the partnership between the two countries and their shared opportunities.
The forum continues with dialogue sessions focusing on key strategic sectors, including AI, energy, finance, healthcare, defense and aerospace, advanced manufacturing, and infrastructure.