ALULA— Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman received Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni at the winter camp in AlUla on Sunday. During the meeting, the Crown Prince and Meloni reviewed aspects of bilateral relations and ways to further enhance them in various fields, in a way serving the interests of both countries. They discussed regional and international developments, as well as issues of common interest, and efforts made towards them. At the outset of the reception, the Crown Prince welcomed Meloni on her visit to Saudi Arabia, while she expressed her happiness to visit the Kingdom and meet the Crown Prince. During their talks session at the "House of Poetry", the Italian prime minister was briefed on the authentic Saudi heritage and culture. The Saudi folklore troupes staged enthralling traditional artistic performances showcasing the rich Saudi heritage and culture. Following the meeting, the Crown Prince and the Italian PM signed an agreement to establish the Strategic Partnership Council between the Saudi and Italian governments. The reception was attended by several Saudi princes and ministers, and senior Saudi and Italian officials. They included Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman; Saudi Ambassador to Italy Prince Faisal bin Sattam bin Abdulaziz; Emir of Madinah Prince Salman bin Sultan; Minister of State and Member of the Council of Ministers Prince Turki bin Mohammed; Deputy Emir of Riyadh Prince Mohammed bin Abdulrahman; Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki bin Faisal; Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif; Minister of the National Guard Prince Abdullah bin Bandar; Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal bin Farhan; Minister of Culture and Governor of the Royal Commission for AlUla Prince Badr bin Abdullah; Minister of Commerce Dr. Majed Al-Qasabi; Minister of Investment Eng. Khalid Al-Falih; Minister of Communications. Information Technology Eng. Abdullah Al-Swaha; Governor of the Public Investment Fund Yasir Al-Rumayyan, Italian Ambassador to the Kingdom Carlo Baldocci, and Diplomatic Advisor to the Italian Prime Minister Ambassador Fabrizio Sago. Earlier on the day, Meloni arrived in AlUla along with her accompanying delegation. Upon arrival at AlUla International Airport, she was received by Emir of Madinah Prince Salman bin Sultan, Saudi Ambassador to Italy Prince Faisal bin Sattam, Minister of Commerce Dr. Majed Al-Qasabi, Director of the Royal Protocol Office in the region Ibrahim bin Abdullah Berri, and a number of senior officials. The visit of the Italian prime minister to the Kingdom and her meeting with the Saudi Crown Prince coincides with the political developments witnessed in the region, which requires consultation and coordination between the leaderships of the two countries, in a way that enhances regional and international security and stability, especially with regard to international trade and energy security, and other issues of common interest. The two countries support efforts to reach a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian issue, in accordance with the principle of the two-state solution, the Arab Peace Initiative, and relevant international legitimacy resolutions, which guarantees the Palestinian people their right to establish their independent state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Meloni's visit to Saudi Arabia reflects the Italian government's appreciation of the Kingdom's political and economic status, its weight, and its pivotal role at the regional and international levels, and the keenness of the leaders of major countries to consult with the wise leadership on the latest regional and international developments. On the economic side, the establishment of the "Saudi-Italian Joint Committee" has contributed to developing economic, trade and investment relations between the two countries, and providing effective governance mechanisms to frame cooperation and joint work in a way that achieves the aspirations of the two countries to advance bilateral relations to the level of "strategic partnership." Saudi Arabia is Italy's second largest trading partner among the countries of the region. The volume of trade exchange between the two countries in 2023 amounted to about $10.796 billion. The Kingdom's imports from Italy were valued at $5.875 billion, while its exports accounted for $4.921 billion in the same year, including $737 million in non-oil exports. More than 150 Italian companies are operating in the Kingdom, with the total balance of Italian net foreign direct investment in the Kingdom exceeding $4.6 billion. The two countries cooperate in the field of renewable energy, as the Kingdom invests in the transition towards carbon neutrality, while Italy has extensive experience in all types of renewable energy sources, and looks forward to establishing a long-term partnership.
