Saudi Arabia and Japan sign 26 agreements

Saudi Arabia and Japan signed 26 agreements and protocols including renewable energy, technology and agriculture. Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio met with Investment Minister Khalid al-Falih in Saudi Arabia, the first stop of his Middle East tour. Minister Falih said that the signed agreements and protocols would contribute to strengthening economic and commercial relations between the two countries and expand the partnership. Noting that the 26 agreements and protocols concentrated on clean energy, Minister Falih said that these covered areas such as renewable energy, hydrogen energy, space, technology, agriculture, entertainment and artificial intelligence. Falih said, “The agreements signed between the two countries will take the economic partnership to new levels in the coming period.” “Strengthening the strategic partnership is aimed at” Japanese Prime Minister Kishida also stated that his visit to Saudi Arabia was aimed at strengthening the strategic partnership, emphasizing that Riyadh is an important strategic partner of Tokyo. Stating that there are 110 Japanese companies in Saudi Arabia, Kishida underlined that they will work with Saudi Arabia in line with the 2030 Vision. On the other hand, Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, speaking to the official Saudi Arabian news agency before Kishida's visit, said that his country meets 40 percent of Japan's oil needs. Minister bin Salman noted that the energy relationship between the two countries has been ongoing for more than half a century, and that his country has purchased $3.2 billion in energy from Japan, mostly in the fields of gas and petrochemicals.