RIYADH: Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir will co-chair with his Italian counterpart Angelino Alfano a joint commission meeting between the two countries in Rome on Dec. 4, Italian Ambassador Luca Ferrari said here on Monday. A high-profile meeting of Saudi and Italian businessmen will also be organized on the sidelines of the meeting.
Al-Jubeir will visit Italy from Dec. 4 to attend the joint commission meeting, and to hold talks with top Italian officials. “The joint commission meeting will enable both countries to comprehensively review bilateral cooperation in defense, economic, archaeology, tourism and cultural spheres and enhance business exchanges within the framework of the Saudi Vision 2030,” said Ferrari.
“About 100 leading Saudi companies will be represented by their chairmen or chief executives in the business meeting,” he added. Ferrari was speaking to newsmen after formally inaugurating the Italian food festival at Lulu hypermarket here on Monday evening.
He said that the Italian companies could play a major role in the development of Neom city, especially in the area of robotics and information technology. “In fact, among the areas where Italy sees the most promise are robotics and automation, a fantastic industry with more than 400 companies,” said the diplomat, while referring to robots’ components supplied by Italian companies to China and many other countries.
Referring to the tie-up between Italy and Lulu, the ambassador pointed out that “Lulu has planned to open 20 hypermarkets in Italy.”
“This partnership with Lulu will help Italy to boost its exports, especially agri-sector exports, to different countries as Lulu has a strong global network of departmental stores and hypermarkets,” said the envoy.
He said that the agri-food sector represents 30 percent of our gross domestic product (GDP) in Italy. In fact, the Italian economy is also doing pretty well, and it advanced 1.8 percent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2017, above 1.5 percent in the previous period, preliminary estimates showed.
Adel Al-Jubeir to co-chair Saudi-Italy meeting
Adel Al-Jubeir to co-chair Saudi-Italy meeting
Malaysian minister commends Saudi Arabia’s Ramadan programs
- Ministry of Islamic Affairs implements Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ program for distributing dates in 120 countries, iftar meals in 70 countries
RIYADH: Malaysian Religious Affairs Minister Zulkifli Hasan has commended Saudi Arabia’s Ramadan programs, saying that the implementation of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ iftar and date distribution programs in Kuala Lumpur embodies the deep ties and humanitarian solidarity between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony at the Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque, the minister praised the Kingdom’s historical commitment to caring for the Two Holy Mosques in Makkah and Madinah and attending to the affairs of Muslim nations, Saudi Press Agency reported.
He described the initiative as a generous gesture that reflected the values of cooperation, concluding with prayers for the continued security and stability of the Kingdom and its leadership.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Dawah and Guidance, represented by the Saudi Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina, launched the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ dates distribution program during a ceremony at the Saudi Embassy in Bucharest, Romania, SPA reported.
The total quantity allocated for distribution is five tonnes of premium Saudi dates, benefiting about 15,000 people in various Romanian cities and regions, as part of the ministry’s Ramadan programs implemented outside the Kingdom during the holy month.
A number of attendees and beneficiaries expressed their appreciation to the Kingdom, its leadership and people for the donation.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs also launched the iftar program for fasting Muslims in Korea at the Seoul Central Mosque, in the presence of the charge d’affaires at the Kingdom’s embassy in Korea, Fahd Al-Barakah.
Three tonnes of dates will be distributed, benefiting 12,000 people, while about 10,000 will benefit from the iftar program.
This initiative is part of the ministry’s efforts to promote the values of solidarity and compassion among Muslims worldwide during Ramadan.
The Ministry of Islamic Affairs implements the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ program for distributing dates in 120 countries and the program for providing iftar meals in 70 countries.
