Ukraine holds largest meeting with Saudi Arabia’s private sector since beginning of full-scale war
Pravda Ukraine
A Ukrainian delegation began an official visit to Saudi Arabia with a meeting involving nearly a hundred local entrepreneurs.
Source: Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy
Details: Yuliia Svyrydenko, Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy, “presented promising investment opportunities in energy, agriculture, infrastructure and other sectors” during the meeting in Riyadh on 16 February.
The discussions also covered the participation of Saudi companies in Ukraine’s privatisation process.
In the coming days, the delegation will hold dozens of meetings to prepare for President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Saudi Arabia.
Quote from the Ministry: “The Ukrainian side introduced Saudi businesses to the current economic situation in Ukraine, the investment opportunities the country offers to foreign investors, and the measures being implemented to create and support a favourable investment climate.
Potential investors were informed about programmes supporting projects with significant investments, industrial park development tools and war risk insurance.”
Quote from Svyrydenko: “I am convinced that we have prospects for even greater investment engagement from Middle Eastern countries. Today, we saw considerable interest, particularly in infrastructure projects, energy, innovation, and agribusiness, especially fertiliser production, where Saudi Arabia has expertise.
Our joint efforts are already yielding results, albeit in small steps. Exports to Saudi Arabia grew from US$291 million in 2023 to US$368 million in 2024, and we expect further growth this year.”
Background:
- Reuters previously reported that Russia is considering Saudi Arabia and the UAE as potential locations for a meeting between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
- On 15 February, Politico and Bloomberg reported that senior Trump administration officials were travelling to Saudi Arabia to begin peace talks with Russian and Ukrainian negotiators.
- On 14 February, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that he would visit the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye in the coming days. He stated that there would be no meetings with representatives of Russia or the United States during these trips.
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