Beth: The Saudi and French business sectors have resumed their activities and civilized activities to discuss trade and investment partnerships, more than a year after their suspension due to the Corona pandemic, as the Council had organized in its headquarters in January 2020 the Saudi-French Business Forum with the participation of about (200) Saudi and French companies in various economic sectors.

Where the Council of Saudi Chambers received today, Monday, at its headquarters, a French delegation from the French Employers Union (Medef) headed by the head of the French side in the Saudi-French Business Council, Laurent German, and with the participation of a number of business owners from both sides.

At the outset of the meeting, the Secretary General of the Council of Saudi Chambers, Dr. Khaled bin Othman Al-Yahya stressed the importance of the Saudi-French economic relations and the great support it receives from the leadership of the two countries, adding that the Council and the corresponding bodies in France are working to translate aspirations and directions for projects, opportunities, initiatives and plans that support the business sectors in building Business partnerships, exchanging visits and information in the interest of the Saudi economy, creating jobs, transferring advanced technologies, developing strategic and new sectors linked to Vision 2030, and providing promising opportunities for French investors.

Al-Yahya expressed the council’s full support for developing economic relations and introducing the opportunities available in both countries, especially in light of Vision 2030 and the reforms and incentives it included for investors and international companies, which opens the door wide for French companies to enter the Saudi market in various sectors, especially the energy and renewable energy sectors. Health, education, hospitality, entertainment, digital transformation and technology.

For his part, the head of the French delegation, Laurent Germain, said that the delegation’s visit comes to follow up on the outcomes of the successful visit of the Minister Delegate in charge of Foreign Trade and Attraction Affairs Frank Riester to the Kingdom last April, and to explore new investment opportunities available to French companies in light of Vision 2030, adding that the Kingdom is a trading partner. And an important strategist for France, and that the discussions with Saudi officials and business owners touched on many sectors, most notably health, technology, entertainment and agriculture, and he also praised the Kingdom's efforts to address the Corona pandemic.

German noted the promising prospects and areas of cooperation between the Saudi and French business sectors, and the elements and advantages of investment in the Kingdom as it is one of the most important economies in the region and the world. At the same time, the French call on Saudi companies to invest in the French market.

In turn, the vice president of the Saudi side in the Saudi-French Business Council for the previous session, Engineer Fayez Al-Alawi, considered that the visit of the French delegation gives a good indication of the return of recovery and economic activity between the business sectors in the two countries, expressing their aspiration to organize a visit of a Saudi delegation soon to discuss cooperation with their French counterparts in promising and relevant sectors The priority in the economic cooperation agenda, pointing out that French companies have great opportunities in the Saudi market, as they contribute to the transfer and indigenization of pioneering expertise and technologies in the Kingdom.