Italy and Saudi Arabia Seal Over 20 Strategic Deals at Business Forum in Riyadh
Two nations ink more than twenty agreements across energy, infrastructure, defence and technology to accelerate bilateral investment
Italy and Saudi Arabia intensified their economic partnership at the Italy–Saudi Arabia Business Forum in Riyadh, where more than twenty bilateral agreements were signed, covering energy, infrastructure, defence, transport, and technology.
Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani led a delegation of approximately five hundred Italian firms alongside over four hundred Saudi participants, underlining a full-spectrum commitment to collaboration.
The Forum, co-organised by Italy’s Trade Agency and Saudi counterparts, drew over nine hundred companies and featured five sector-specific roundtables including infrastructure & sustainable transport, pharmaceuticals & life sciences, high technology (digital, AI, semiconductors), agritech & agro-industry, and culture & sport.
The event served as a platform not only for memoranda of understanding but for one-on-one business-to-business sessions aimed at converting interest into investment.
Officials stressed that the success of the gathering would be judged not by the number of sign-offs alone but by the projects implemented, investments unlocked and the knowledge exchanged.
The agreements included regulatory cooperation in areas such as food safety, and institutional support to facilitate Italian small- and medium-sized enterprises entering the Saudi market.
Italy aims to leverage its industrial strengths in machinery, energy transition and luxury sectors to support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 diversification agenda, while the Kingdom seeks advanced technology, construction and expertise to catalyse its megaprojects.
Italian exports to Saudi Arabia reached some €4.4 billion in the first nine months of 2025, up by 4.3 per cent year-on-year, with bilateral trade for 2024 recorded at €10.3 billion and a surplus of €2.1 billion for Italy.
Observers view the forum as a pivotal moment in the bilateral relationship, pointing to deeper economic integration and structural collaborations that extend beyond one-off deals.
The next session of the joint commission is slated for 2027 in Italy, indicating a sustained and institutionalised partnership between the two states.
Italy’s Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani led a delegation of approximately five hundred Italian firms alongside over four hundred Saudi participants, underlining a full-spectrum commitment to collaboration.
The Forum, co-organised by Italy’s Trade Agency and Saudi counterparts, drew over nine hundred companies and featured five sector-specific roundtables including infrastructure & sustainable transport, pharmaceuticals & life sciences, high technology (digital, AI, semiconductors), agritech & agro-industry, and culture & sport.
The event served as a platform not only for memoranda of understanding but for one-on-one business-to-business sessions aimed at converting interest into investment.
Officials stressed that the success of the gathering would be judged not by the number of sign-offs alone but by the projects implemented, investments unlocked and the knowledge exchanged.
The agreements included regulatory cooperation in areas such as food safety, and institutional support to facilitate Italian small- and medium-sized enterprises entering the Saudi market.
Italy aims to leverage its industrial strengths in machinery, energy transition and luxury sectors to support Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 diversification agenda, while the Kingdom seeks advanced technology, construction and expertise to catalyse its megaprojects.
Italian exports to Saudi Arabia reached some €4.4 billion in the first nine months of 2025, up by 4.3 per cent year-on-year, with bilateral trade for 2024 recorded at €10.3 billion and a surplus of €2.1 billion for Italy.
Observers view the forum as a pivotal moment in the bilateral relationship, pointing to deeper economic integration and structural collaborations that extend beyond one-off deals.
The next session of the joint commission is slated for 2027 in Italy, indicating a sustained and institutionalised partnership between the two states.