Saudi Arabia highlights expanding trade ties at Thailand International Mega Fair

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Saudi Arabia underscored its growing economic ties with Thailand as the Kingdom took part in the Thailand International Mega Fair 2025 in Riyadh. (Supplied)
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Saudi Arabia underscored its growing economic ties with Thailand as the Kingdom took part in the Thailand International Mega Fair 2025 in Riyadh. (Supplied)
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Saudi Arabia underscored its growing economic ties with Thailand as the Kingdom took part in the Thailand International Mega Fair 2025 in Riyadh. (Supplied)
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Updated 08 December 2025
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Saudi Arabia highlights expanding trade ties at Thailand International Mega Fair

  • Exhibition features more than 150 leading Thai brands across sectors including food and beverage, health and wellness, tourism, fragrances/oud and smart agriculture
  • Fair also offers cultural performances, interactive displays, and new opportunities to deepen commercial ties between the Kingdom and Thailand

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia underscored its growing economic ties with Thailand as the Kingdom took part in the Thailand International Mega Fair 2025 in Riyadh this week.

Majid Al-Qasabi, representing minister of commerce and chairman of the board of the General Authority for Foreign Trade, and Abdulaziz bin Omar Al-Sakran, the authority’s deputy governor for international relations, attended the fair’s inauguration on Sunday.

The event brought together senior officials from both countries, including Kirida Bhaopichitr, vice minister for commerce of the Royal Thai Government; Darm Boontham, Thailand’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia; and Osama Qoqandi, chairman of the Saudi–Thai Business Council, alongside public and private sector representatives.

Speaking at the ceremony, Visit Limlurcha, vice chairman of the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Trade of Thailand, highlighted the significant progress in Thai-Saudi relations since the full restoration of diplomatic ties in 2022.

He said the fair serves as a key government-backed platform to expand cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, and emerging industries, supporting long-term economic collaboration between the two nations.

Al-Sakran said in a statement that years of joint efforts have strengthened partnerships between the Saudi and Thai private sectors, noting that bilateral trade over the past five years has reached nearly $40 billion, with an average annual growth rate of about 9 percent.

He added that the Saudi–Thai Joint Business Council has been restructured to provide an improved channel for communication, joint initiatives, and broader commercial and investment cooperation.

He said Saudi Arabia’s participation in the event reflects the Kingdom’s commitment to creating new avenues for economic collaboration and supporting Saudi and Thai companies in exploring promising investment opportunities. 

The effort, he noted, aligns with the goals of Saudi Vision 2030 to diversify the national economy and enhance the Kingdom’s position as a leading regional and global trade hub.

Organized in strategic partnership with the Thai Chamber of Commerce and the Board of Trade of Thailand, the Thailand International Mega Fair 2025 is supported by the Royal Thai Embassy in Riyadh, the Federation of Saudi Chambers, the Saudi–Thai Business Council, and the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce.

The three-day exhibition features more than 150 leading Thai brands across sectors including food and beverages, health and wellness, tourism, fragrances and oud, smart agriculture, automotive components, decor, construction materials, and business solutions.

Held at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center, the fair also offers cultural performances, interactive displays, and new opportunities to deepen commercial ties between the Kingdom and Thailand.


Rebuilding lives: Saudi initiative gives fresh hope to amputees

Updated 08 December 2025
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Rebuilding lives: Saudi initiative gives fresh hope to amputees

  • Baitureh Health Association has provided life-changing support to more than 1,000 people
  • Prosthetic limbs can cost up to $76,000

MAKKAH: The Baitureh Health Association for the Care of Amputees has quickly become one of Saudi Arabia’s most impactful humanitarian initiatives, transforming support for people with lost limbs.

Established in 2020, the association deals with people’s physical, psychological and social needs and fills a long-standing gap in the national health system.

CEO Badr bin Alyan told Arab News that the initiative was created in response to a growing need, driven by amputations linked to accidents, blood disorders, occupational injuries and other causes.

Its operations were “based on service integration rather than fragmentation, enabling beneficiaries to return to their lives with confidence, ability and independence,” he said.

This holistic process covers everything from initial evaluations to psychological and physical rehabilitation, family support, prosthetic fitting and ongoing maintenance.

Its psychological support programs include group sessions led by certified mentors who have undergone similar experiences, as well as field visits to support patients before and after amputation.

More than 1,000 people across the Kingdom have so far benefitted from the association’s work, about 10 percent of them children, whom Alyan said were “the most sensitive and the most in need of intensive psychological and family support.”

Its specialist programs for children — My First Step and Therapeutic Entertainment — help young people adapt to prosthetics, overcome trauma and build confidence in a safe and supportive setting.

The association has completed more than 300 prosthetic fittings, including silicone cosmetic limbs, mechanical, hydraulic, electronic and 3D-printed models. 

Alyan said the type of prosthetic selected depended on a number of factors, such as age, lifestyle, type of amputation, activity level and psychological readiness.

Children also have to undergo frequent adjustments to their new limbs to account for their growth.

Each prosthetic cost between SR20,000 ($5,300) and SR285,000, Alyan said.

The association funds its work through sponsorships, community contributions and strategic partnerships.

Despite its success, Alyan said there were still challenges to be faced, including the lack of a consolidated base for the provision of psychological support and therapy services and prosthetics development and maintenance.

There was also a shortage of local experts, he said.

In response, the association set up a rehabilitation center, which Alyan said would help to localize prosthetics manufacturing, reduce costs and accelerate fitting processes and create opportunities for local experts to develop their knowledge and experience.

But providing prosthetics was only part of the association’s work, he said.

“Rebuilding a human life is the deeper goal.”