DPM/FM and the Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia presided over the opening ceremony of the roundtable discussion between Thai-Saudi business sectors and met with the[...]

On 7 June 2023, H.E. Mr. Don Pramudwinai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs chaired the opening ceremony of the Saudi - Thai roundtable discussion between the Thai-Saudi business sectors and H.E. Mr. Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al-Falih, Minister of Investment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Over 100 representatives from both the public and private sectors of Thailand and Saudi Arabia such as the Public Investmet Fund (PIF), ACWA Power, the Office of the Eastern Economic Corridor Policy Committee, and the Thailand Board of Investment participated. After the discussion, the Minister of Investment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia hosted a luncheon for the Thai delegation.

On this occasion, the Minister of Investment of Saudi Arabia emphasized some of the key factors and achievements resulted from the high-level exchange of visits between both sides, Thailand's geographical location serves Thailand's political strategy and economic interests in ASEAN, and Thailand's economic rapid recovery and resilience. The Saudi Arabia side expressed its readiness to support the Thai private sector interested in investing and doing business in Saudi Arabia in potential sectors of both sides.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand highlighted the alignment between Vision 2030 and the Bio-Circular-Green Economy (BCG) model, as well as, the economic interdependence of both countries in several areas such as global supply chain, digital technologies, and climate change mitigation.

During the roundtable discussion, representatives from both the public and private sectors had the opportunity to present the background information and exchange views on 6 potential sectors, including green energy, petrochemical industry, construction materials, and packaging production, agriculture and food, gaming and e-sports, tourism and health services.

Furthermore, on 8 June 2023, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand met with Mr. Hasan Al-Huwaizi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federations of Saudi Chambers (FSC), and Dr. Sami bin Abdullah Al-Obaldi, Chairman of the Thai-Saudi Business Council. Before the roundtable discussion of the private sector of both sides expressed their readiness to further strengthen their business relations.

During the roundtable discussion, Mr. Hasan Al-Huwaizi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Federations of Saudi Chambers (FSC) co-chaired discussion with Mr. Sanan Angubolkul, Chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Trade of Thailand. Both sides emphasized the importance of promoting investment opportunities of potential sectors and forging business partnerships. In addition, representatives from both the public and private sectors discussed ways to enhance trade and investment opportunities in areas such as banking, agriculture, food security, energy, petrochemicals, electric vehicles, construction, and healthcare.