لندن تشهد انعقاد المؤتمر الختامي لمبادرة «GREAT FUTURES»

Today, the final conference of the (GREAT FUTURES) initiative was held in the British capital, London, coinciding with the fifth meeting of the economic and social side of the Saudi-British Strategic Partnership Council, chaired by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman and the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer.

The Minister of Commerce and Chairman of the Economic and Social Committee from the Saudi side, Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi, confirmed during the opening of the conference, which witnessed the participation of the largest Saudi trade delegation comprising (195) business leaders and (33) government officials, over (320) representatives from major British companies, and about (30) British government officials, that the vision launched by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman has brought about transformations in the Saudi economy.

During a ministerial session with his British counterpart, Minister of Trade and Business and Chairman of the Economic and Social Committee from the British side, Jonathan Reynolds, he praised the efforts of the committee, which is currently working on (80) initiatives to turn plans into tangible achievements, focused on innovation, empowering the business sector, and integrating government efforts.

Al-Qasabi pointed out that the two countries are working to increase trade exchange to (30) billion pounds sterling by 2030, especially since Britain is one of the top (10) trading partners of the Kingdom, with an exchange exceeding (16) billion pounds sterling last year, while there are (1689) British companies in the Kingdom, of which (75) have chosen Riyadh as their regional headquarters.

During the conference, the chairs of the Economic and Social Committee of the Saudi-British Strategic Partnership Council announced a new Saudi-British strategic partnership, based on aligning the modern industrial strategy of the United Kingdom with "Saudi Vision 2030," focusing on five priority strategic areas: financial connectivity, life sciences and health technologies, industrial growth, creative sectors, and innovation in education.

The conference comes as part of the completion of the initiative's work, which is one of the economic and social initiatives launched by the council as a key driver to enhance common economic priorities, advance strategic initiatives, highlight achieved successes, and accelerate economic growth and cooperation in (13) promising sectors, most notably education, health, tourism, culture, sports, trade and investment, and finance.

The conference featured a presentation of the United Kingdom's industrial strategy, in addition to a session discussing the impact of technology on reshaping industries, and how governments can empower the private sector to leverage advanced technologies to enhance competitiveness and sustainability, along with a visual presentation by Diriyah Company on transforming the Kingdom's heritage into a sustainable global model for urban living.

The conference included (38) agreements and announcements valued at over (20) billion Saudi riyals, in addition to holding (5) workshops addressing the enhancement of Saudi-British cooperation in priority areas, showcasing success stories from several companies in both countries, organizing a concurrent exhibition, and hosting folkloric musical performances reflecting the cultures of both countries.

Riyadh hosted the (GREAT FUTURES) initiative conference in May 2024, with the participation of (2200) from the business sectors of both countries, along with more than (20) bilateral ministerial meetings, signing (13) agreements, holding (50) dialogue sessions, and organizing (10) workshops, while both sides organized numerous diverse economic events over the course of more than a year to enhance the partnership between the two sides.