Upon instructions of the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Antonio Tajani, the Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Maria Tripodi, opened the Saudi-Italian Business Forum organised in Milan by Assolombarda together with the Saudi-Italian Business Council and the Federation of Saudi Chambers of Commerce.
The Undersecreaty said: “The relations between Italy and Saudi Arabia are excellent and constantly growing, with a significant potential for further strengthening in terms of investment and trade.” She also highlighted that – thanks to the recent mission by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to Al-Ula, bilateral relations have been elevated to the level of strategic partnership, through a joint declaration that initiates structured cooperation between Italy and Saudi Arabia in several sectors of mutual interest.
Undersecretary Tripodi also emphasised that – upon Minister Tajani’s initiative – the Italian government is strongly committed to the strategy of supporting our companies, in favour of internationalisation and market diversification. To achieve this goal, an innovative Export Plan was submitted by Minister Tajani, in which Saudi Arabia plays a leading role. In fact, in 2024, our exports to the country exceeded EUR 6 billion, marking a 27.9% increase over 2023, the highest growth rate in the entire MENA region. Saudi Arabia is also the second largest market for Italian exports to the region.
The Undersecretary concluded: “The contribution that Italian companies provide to our shared growth is of paramount importance and will continue, with the Government’s assistance, towards the joint exploration of new collaborations in strategic sectors, such as large infrastructure, energy, defence and new technology projects, as well as projects with a transnational and transcontinental scope also within the Saudi Vision 2030, to which Italy is ready to contribute.”
