At Davos, Saudi Arabia pitches itself as a new hub for Chinese investment
Saudi minister urges China ‘not to miss opportunities’ to invest in the Gulf state – and exploit its access to different markets
As Washington steels itself for a battle with China over critical minerals and Brussels struggles to beat back a flood of Chinese electric vehicles, Saudi Arabia has offered to help Beijing ride out its growing trade disputes.
Bandar Alkhorayef, Saudi minister of industry and mineral resources, said his country welcomed Chinese products and investments – and urged Chinese investors “not to miss the opportunities” to access the largest economy in the Middle East.
“We would like to see investments from Chinese companies bringing know-how, technology, and also capturing the value that we have in Saudi Arabia,” he said in an interview with the Post via video link on Wednesday.
Notably, Alkhorayef suggested that the Gulf state could not only serve as a local market, but also as a potential export hub for Chinese goods.
“We offer a great mix of an excellent local market, but also accessibility to different markets,” he said on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “We have accessibility to raw materials like oil, gas, petrochemicals and minerals. And we have good infrastructure as a country.”
“So, Saudi Arabia will definitely be a major player in the region and globally.”
