Ludovic Pouille, France’s ambassador to the Kingdom, thanked Mohammed Mourchid, one of the organizers of the business club, for his exceptional efforts in organizing the initiative. He also thanked Riyadh Al-Zamil, a member of the board of directors of the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce, for his “unconditional support.”

Mourchid told Arab News: “This initiative is the result of a number of observations, notably that relations are excellent between our two countries in various strategic sectors, but that this is not necessarily reflected at the level of youth. More than 70 percent of the Saudi population is under the age of 30, and youth represents the future. Both in France and in Saudi Arabia, our leaders are also young.

“This initiative will make it possible to create a solid bridge between young Saudis and young French people,” Mourchid added.

Al-Zamil told Arab News he was deeply honored to be part of the club. “I am personally committed to supporting all initiatives to ensure a bright future for our children and great-grandchildren,” he said.

Racha Al-Khamis, vice president of the Saudi Arabian Boxing Federation and member of the Asian Boxing Federation, stressed that women are able to contribute to the development of Saudi society and are capable of making a difference in all areas.

She said that her success as a woman was primarily due to her father, who always treated her as an equal to her brother. “My father used to mentor us. I used to get the same criticism as my brother,” she said.

The French Saudi Youth Business Club is intended to be a platform for young entrepreneurs from both sides to connect and collaborate with each other. To achieve its goals, the club plans to organize business-related activities focusing on a range of topics, including innovation, technology, sustainability and future trends.

Partnerships have also been established with other organizations to create a broad network of young entrepreneurs and business leaders, according to the club.