| The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has underlined the importance of strengthening and developing relations with the EU in all fields. The Permanent Representative of the Kingdom to the European Union Ambassador Saad Al-Arifi said during the dialogue session with the Arabian Peninsula Relations Mission in the European Parliament in Brussels that long-term relations are binding the Kingdom and the Gulf States with the European Union since 1967 and that there is a strong convergence on a range of issues, based on mutual respect and common desire to continue these ties at a number of levels. He further said that "We have emphasized the deepening of this ties by establishing our mission to the European Union, promoting our bilateral discussions, enhancing interpersonal contacts as well as building bridges between Saudi society and European societies," |
| "The Kingdom is currently developing its Vision 2030, which is a blueprint for an ambitious nation, and reflects the long-term goals that are based on the strengths and unique capabilities of the Kingdom," he added. Ambassador Al-Arifi explained that Vision 2030 guides the Kingdom's aspirations towards a new stage of development to establish a vibrant society where all citizens can realize their dreams, hopes and aspirations, to succeed in a prosperous economy with major reforms in a number of aspects. He pointed out that the Kingdom and the European Union have strong economic relations, as the European Union is the main trading partner of the Kingdom, noting that the total trade of goods between the EU and the Kingdom in 2018 amounted to 61.03 billion euros, and the goal right now is to double this figure. |
