Saudi Industry Minister Visits China To Cement Trade Ties

RIYADH: In a bid to expand collaborations between Saudi Arabia and China, Saudi Arabia’s minister of industry and mineral resources held meetings with a range of officials and business leaders during a tour of the East Asian country.

Bandar bin Ibrahim Alkhorayef also toured various companies and factories located in different Chinese cities as part of his trip, which began on Sunday.

As well as the meetings, he chaired the Saudi delegation and participated as a guest of honor in the China-Arab State Summit, according to the Saudi Press Agency.

Others to make the trip include Khalid bin Mohammed Al-Salem, president of the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu; Khalid bin Saleh Al-Mudaifer, the vice minister of industry and mineral resources for mining affairs, and several leaders from the industry and mineral resources sector. 

On Monday in Beijing, Alkhorayef held a meeting with Jin Zhuanglong, China’s minister of industry and information technology. The discussions revolved around strengthening cooperation and partnership between the two countries in the industrial sector. 

Alkhorayef also met with China’s Minister of Natural Resources, Wang Guanghua, and Li Jinfa, chairman of the Geological Survey of China. They explored opportunities and challenges in the mining sector and discussed ways to enhance joint collaboration to foster growth in the mineral industry in the region. 

Additionally, the Saudi minister held talks with Peng Qiming, president of the Mining Association, and Gi Honglin, president of the China Nonferrous Metal Industry Association. These meetings centered on mutual interests and efforts aimed at promoting economic growth and infrastructure development in the mining sector between the two countries. 

Furthermore, Alkhorayef held discussions with the CEO of the Chinese Norinco Group, Chen Defang. The two parties discussed enhancing cooperation, exchanging expertise, and sharing experiences. Norinco Group has joint ventures in several petroleum and chemical industries with Saudi Aramco. 

The minister is scheduled to head the Kingdom’s delegation participating as a guest of honor at the China-Arab States Expo, which will be held from Sept. 21-24 in Yinchuan, Ningxia. He will also take part in the China-Saudi Trade Investment Promotion Conference, in addition to his participation at the Minerals Investment Forum in Shanghai, China. 

The visit is to further strengthen the economic partnership between Saudi Arabia and China in the industrial and mining sectors. It also allows the two sides to review their qualitative investment opportunities. Moreover, the move highlights the Kingdom’s initiatives to advance these two strategic sectors.