Arab News, Thu, Oct 05, 2023 | Rabi Al-Awwal 20, 1445
Saudi Arabia, Portugal sign deal to boost cooperation in aviation sector
Saudi Arabia:
Air transport services between Saudi Arabia and Portugal are on course to
flourish thanks to a new agreement between the Kingdom’s General Authority of
Civil Aviation and the European country’s Ministry of Infrastructure.
Signed on the sidelines of the Saudi-Portuguese
Joint Committee, the deal aims to establish air services that ensure the highest
levels of safety and security, enhance trade exchange, and support economic
growth between the two countries, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
The agreement is one of a range of contracts
signed during the visit of Saudi Minister of Economy and Planning Faisal
Al-Ibrahim to Lisbon. These deals aim to strengthen economic relations and
promote increased collaboration between Riyadh and Lisbon.
“From 2021 to 2022, Saudi exports to Portugal
surged by 50 percent, and imports from Portugal increased by almost 40 percent,
culminating in a trade volume of $1 billion, underscoring the potential for
enhanced collaboration between the two nations,” Al-Ibrahim said during his
opening remarks at the Saudi-Portuguese Investment Forum.
He affirmed that confronting unprecedented global
challenges, particularly climate change, sustainability, and post-pandemic
economic recovery, calls for top-notch solutions where collaborative efforts
between the public and private sectors in the Kingdom and Portugal can play an
important role.
During his visit, on behalf of the chairman of the
Saudi Food and Drug Authority board of directors, Al-Ibrahim also signed a
memorandum of understanding with the Portuguese National Authority of Medicines
and Health Products to propel the initiative.
The MoU aims to enhance cooperation and facilitate
the trade of information and expertise between the two regulatory bodies in
handling medicines, medical devices, and supplies.
The agreement will also tackle cosmetic products
and related fields, including laboratories and inspection.
Under the terms of the MoU, both parties will
unite to exchange experiences and information and facilitate technical visits.
They will also work on establishing on-the-job
training related to laboratory tests for biological practices and the evaluation
of bioequivalence studies.
The programs will also include conducting trials
and assessing the safety and effectiveness of medical devices and supplies for
licensing, marketing, and post-marketing control.
The Saudi minister held a meeting with the
European country’s Minister of Agriculture and Food Maria do Ceu Antunes and
discussed ways to boost economic ties.
He also met with his Portuguese counterpart
Antonio Costa Silva to consider strategies to strengthen economic and investment
cooperation between their respective countries.
The Saudi delegation includes representatives of
different ministries and top officials of various government agencies.
In September, on the sidelines of the 2023 SDG
Summit in New York, Al-Ibrahim met with Germany’s State Secretary for Economic,
Finance, and European Affairs Jorg Kukies to discuss ways to strengthen
economic, trade, and investment relations, as reported by SPA.
At the time, SPA said Al-Ibrahim also met with
Swedish Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade
Johan Forssell to explore bilateral economic and investment relations between
the two countries.
The meetings focused on the potential for
increased international cooperation to accelerate the implementation of their
SDGs, along with discussions established on mutual interests.
Prior to that, in June, economic relations between
Riyadh and Paris received a significant boost when 24 agreements were signed at
the French-Saudi Investment Forum.
The agreements were formalized by companies from
both the Kingdom and France in a wide range of sectors, including energy,
defense, and telecommunication, a statement released at the time revealed.
In May, a high-level delegation from Saudi
Arabia’s Shoura Council visited the UK for the first time in years to share the
Kingdom’s latest development and investment plans, enhance relations, and
exchange expertise.
“Our visit aims to highlight the huge changes
taking place in the Kingdom as part of Vision 2030, and the opportunities they
bring, and also to underscore the importance and the significance of the
umbrella strategic agreement between Saudi Arabia and the United Kingdom, with
all the various areas that it intends to build,” Ghazi Binzagr, a member of the
Shoura Council, told Arab News.