The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, will be on a mission to Riyadh (Saudi Arabia) tomorrow to hold institutional meetings, participate in the Italy-Saudi Arabia Business Forum, and inaugurate the preview of the Milan Furniture Fair.
The mission is part of the growing partnership between Italy and Saudi Arabia, raised to a strategic level during the visit of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni last January. The meetings scheduled with the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Sport, and the Governor of the Emirate of Riyadh will address issues relating to bilateral and trade relations and the situation in the region.
Minister Tajani, together with Minister of Investment Khalidbin Abdulaziz Al Falih, will open the Italy-Saudi Arabia Business Forum, which will see the participation of over 950 companies, including approximately 480 Italian and 450 Saudi companies. The Forum will conclude with the signing ceremony of a dozen trade agreements.
The Minister will also open the three-day event “Red in Progress. Salone del Mobile. Milan meets Riyadh,” a preview of the first edition of the Milan Furniture Fair, scheduled in Riyadh for 2026, in the presence of Minister of Culture Badr bin Farhan. The event is organized in partnership with the Saudi Ministry of Culture and with the support of the Foreign Ministry and the Italian Trade Agency (ITA).
Minister Tajani will also speak at the opening ceremony of the Simest branch in Riyadh, in the presence of the Heads of CdP, SIMEST, SACE, and the Italian Trade Agency (ITA). A visit is also scheduled to the Diriyah construction site, where the Italian company Webuild is building an innovative commercial and cultural area at the UNESCO site of At-Turaif, one of the most ambitious projects of the Saudi Vision 2030.
The mission will confirm Italy’s interest in becoming a leading partner in the Saudi transformation project “Vision 2030,” leveraging the expertise, know-how and technologies of our leading companies and the quality and reliability of Made in Italy products. The Foreign Minister will specifically highlight the potential for collaboration in the sectors of energy, infrastructure (including the Cotton Road – IMEC), agribusiness and water technologies, life sciences and pharmaceuticals, defence, new technologies, culture, and high-end goods.
Saudi Arabia is the second largest export market for Italy in the Middle East and North Africa region. Over the last 5 years, trade between Italy and Saudi Arabia has increased significantly (+67%), reaching a value of over 10 billion euros in 2024. Since 2022 Italian exports have increased by almost 20% on an annual basis (+27.9% in 2024 alone).