His Excellency the Minister of Commerce and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Competitiveness Center, Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi, confirmed during the opening of the “Saudi-Italian Business Forum,” organized by the National Competitiveness Center, that the vision launched by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Crown Prince and Prime Minister – may God protect him – has brought an unprecedented transformation to the Saudi economy, with the Kingdom implementing more than 900 legislative and regulatory reforms to build a competitive economy.
The forum is part of a working visit by a Saudi delegation, headed by His Excellency, to Rome, Italy, aiming to enhance the economic and trade partnership between the two friendly countries. The forum was attended by His Royal Highness Prince Faisal bin Sattam bin Abdulaziz, Ambassador of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques to Italy, and 200 leaders from the public and private sectors in both countries.
Al-Qasabi stated: “The forum is distinguished by witnessing the convergence of Italy’s strength, represented in its creativity from the past to the future, with the Kingdom’s ambition to establish a new generation of modern and large-scale projects.”
His Excellency the Deputy Minister of Enterprises and “Made in Italy,” Valentino Valentini, noted that the participation of 133 Italian companies in the forum reflects Italy’s decision to be a long-term strategic partner of the Kingdom.
During the forum, Her Excellency Dr. Iman bint Hebbas Al-Mutairi, Deputy Minister of Commerce and CEO of the National Competitiveness Center, presented the most prominent reforms carried out to enhance the Kingdom’s competitiveness and highlighted promising opportunities in vital sectors.
His Excellency Mr. Giorgio Sili, Undersecretary of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, emphasized that Italy’s partnership with the Kingdom represents a promising future vision based on quality, trust, and joint capability for innovation.
Forum activities included a dialogue session on “Opportunities for Partnership in Key Sectors,” a presentation on corporate governance in the Kingdom, and five discussion panels addressing the enhancement of Saudi-Italian cooperation in various promising fields (tourism, architecture, fashion, retail, and mobility), in addition to presenting success stories of companies from both countries.
It is noted that the delegation included senior officials from several government entities, including the Ministries of Commerce, Investment, and Industry and Mineral Resources; the Public Investment Fund; the Saudi Red Sea Authority; the National Competitiveness Center; the Saudi Business Center; the E-Commerce Council; the Architecture and Design Commission; and the Fashion Commission, along with representatives from several national companies.