RIYADH: The Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CSCCI) and the Italian export credit agency SACE on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on trade and investment cooperation, which is expected to support the Vision 2030 strategy.
Alessandro Decio, SACE chief executive, and Ahmed Al-Rajhi, CSCCI chairman, signed the MoU at the CSCCI headquarters in the Saudi capital in the presence of Italian Ambassador Luca Ferrari.
“Our trip to Saudi Arabia has been both productive and constructive and we have a feeling that the business opportunity is even better than we expected before we visited the Kingdom,” Decio told Arab News.
“The signing of the MoU is a significant opportunity for the Italian export credit agency to boost bilateral trade between Saudi Arabia and Italy,” he said.
Bilateral trade between the countries reached €8 billion ($10 billion) in 2017 compared to €6.7 billion ($7.8 billion) the previous year, according to embassy records.
Ferrari expressed optimism about the MoU and the visit of Italian company officials to the region.
“The fact that SACE is here today and signed an MoU with the Council of Saudi Chambers is concrete and tangible proof of the willingness of the Italian government to invest in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
He said that SACE bankrolled Italian firms intending to invest capital in the Kingdom and helped Saudi firms planning to invest in Italy. “It’s a two-way win-win situation for both the Saudi and the Italian governments,” he said.
KSA, Italy sign MoU to boost trade ties
KSA, Italy sign MoU to boost trade ties
Children’s Theater Festival opens in Qassim region
- To develop future ‘cultural architects,’ says CEO Khaled Al-Baz
- ‘Nurture creativity, aesthetic awareness and sense of belonging’
BURAIDAH: The Qassim Children’s Theater Festival opened on Tuesday bringing together professionals from across Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.
The event is being held under the patronage of Prince Dr. Faisal bin Mishaal bin Saud bin Abdulaziz, governor of Qassim, at the Science Center in Unaizah governorate.
It has been Organized by the Theater and Performing Arts Association and executed by the Unaizah Theater Association, the Saudi Press Agency reported.
Running until Jan. 31, it features shows, panel discussions, as well as training workshops to develop children’s theater and strengthen professional skills in the field.
Khaled Al-Baz, CEO of the Theater and Performing Arts Association, told the SPA the festival forms part of a broader strategy to position children’s theater as a distinct cultural sector.
“Children today constitute genuine audiences — tomorrow’s cultural architects,” Al-Baz said.
Ahmed Al-Humaimidi, president of the Unaizah Theater Association, said it was an investment in young people, noting that it extends beyond performances to include cultural and educational programming.
He said the initiative aims to nurture creativity, aesthetic awareness and a sense of belonging, while also identifying emerging talent and encouraging knowledge exchange among theater practitioners.
“Our association recognizes children’s theater as foundational to cultivating aware, creative character,” he said.
The festival serves as both an artistic showcase and a platform for professional dialogue, reflecting the Kingdom’s expanding cultural landscape and growing focus on children’s theater as an educational and cultural tool, the SPA noted.
This occurs alongside support for signature initiatives and performing arts promotion as quality-of-life enhancement.
