The Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia (MISA) Sunday hosted a senior delegation from Kazakhstan at the Saudi-Kazakh Investment Meeting, which culminated in 13 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in such fields as power, tourism, sports, agricultural products, pharmaceuticals, media and financial services. The MoUs demonstrated joint impetus to expand global power capabilities while indicating a growing global recognition of the investment opportunities available across diverse Saudi sectors. They included: • A GTG investment agreement between Ministry of Sports and the Kazakh Ministry of Culture & Sports to support the thriving sector; • Agreements between the Ministry of Media and the Ministry of Information and Social Development of Kazakhstan, as well as between Saudi Press Agency and Kazakhstan's TV and Radio Complex, for information exchange; • Cooperation agreements between Saudi Arabia's Ajlan & Bros Holding Group and several Kazakh partners governing such commercial activities as meat exports; and • An MoU between Saudi stock exchange Tadawul and Astana International Exchange Ltd. The meeting was opened by Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who led a Kazakh delegation of business leaders and diplomats, including Mukhtar Tleuberdi, deputy prime minister of Kazakhstan and minister for foreign affairs. The meeting included presentations by both Kazakh and Saudi entities. From Kazakhstan, Almassadam Satkaliyev, CEO of sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna (JSC), proposed several joint pilot projects in technology and knowledge transfer and green technologies. Kanat Sharlapayev from Bayterek National Management Holding, the Kazakhstan government's main financial agent, shared perspectives on how to support sustainable economic development to implement the country's ambitious national goals. On the Saudi side, Mohammed Abunayyan, chairman of ACWA Power; Yousef Al Benyan, CEO of SABIC; Talal Al Khoraiji, vice president of Saudi National Bank; Ahmed Al Dakkeel, CEO of Alrajhi International for Investment; and Shaaf Al-Osaymi, senior director of the Strategy Delivery business line at Maaden, showcased their work and highlighted areas of investment available in the Kingdom. Representatives from Kazakh companies, chambers of commerce and trade associations attended the event, taking part in B2B and G2B meetings to explore mutually beneficial investment opportunities. The partnerships forged Sunday build on the Kazakhstan tourism forum held in April, where Kazakh travel companies signed cooperation agreements with Saudi tour operators; as well as on Investment Minister Al-Falih's visit to Kazakhstan in September. The Kazakh Investment Meeting follows several successful MISA-hosted events with investment counterparts from such countries as the United States, Italy, Greece, France and Thailand, resulting in enhanced cooperation and multiple MoUs to explore investment opportunities across several sectors. Saudi Arabia has seen strong growth in foreign direct investment (FDI) in recent years as the Kingdom's economic reforms have unlocked a broad range of opportunities for international investors. Last year net FDI growth increased by an unprecedented 257.2%, with inflows totaling almost $20 billion for the year — the highest they have been for a decade. — SPA
