ROME — Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef has concluded an official visit to Italy. He held bilateral meetings with government officials and private sector leaders in the country to discuss enhancing economic relations and industrial and mining cooperation between Saudi Arabia and Italy. The CEO of the National Industrial Development Center, Saleh Alsolami, was also present during the discussions. The meetings centered on opportunities in 12 promising industrial sectors, highlighting Saudi Arabia's national industrial strategy, strategic geographical location, advanced infrastructure, and energy availability. The minister emphasized the incentives and services that enable Italian companies to invest in the Kingdom. During his visit to Rome, Alkhorayef met with Prince Faisal bin Sattam bin Abdulaziz, the Saudi Ambassador to Italy, and the Vice President of the Saudi-Italian Business Council, Yousef El Maimani. Discussions with Italian ministers and officials focused on clean and renewable energy solutions, attracting Italian mining companies to invest in Saudi Arabia, and benefiting from Italy's industrial innovation experience. The minister met with key Italian government figures, including the Minister of Environment and Energy Security and the Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy. Private sector leaders from major Italian companies, such as Fincantieri, Piëch, Leonardo, AlmavivA, and Barilla, also participated in bilateral meetings and a roundtable discussion in Rome. The meetings explored localizing strategic industries in Saudi Arabia, including aviation, electric cars, shipbuilding, and food manufacturing. Minister Alkhorayef also attended the COMOLAKE 2024 conference, where he delivered a speech on the importance of international cooperation for sustainable industrial development. He invited Italian officials and business leaders to participate in the Future Minerals Forum (FMF), to be held in Riyadh in January 2025.
