Nigeria and Saudi Arabia are set to deepen economic cooperation as the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) and Al Yaro International Company Limited prepare to host the second Nigeria-Saudi Diaspora Investment and Tourism Exhibition Summit in Abuja.
NiDCOM Secretary Dr Sule Bassi, representing the commission’s Chairman, Dr Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said the summit was designed to strengthen trade, investment and tourism relations between Nigeria and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Mr Bassi said participants would explore opportunities across about 20 sectors, including energy, agriculture, tourism, manufacturing, information and communications technology, healthcare, logistics, real estate, and Hajj and Umrah services.
According to him, organisers plan to make the exhibition a biennial event, alternating between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia to strengthen long-term bilateral economic relations.
Earlier, Dr Abdulrahman Terab, NiDCOM’s Head of Technology Transfer, Innovation and Investment, described the summit as a strategic platform for transforming diplomatic and cultural ties into sustainable economic partnerships.
He said the event would help address misconceptions surrounding investments while promoting opportunities in agriculture, technology, trade, tourism and infrastructure.
Dr Terab also urged the media to support the initiative through accurate and extensive reporting, describing journalists as key partners in Nigeria’s economic diplomacy.
Chairman of Al Yaro International Company Limited, Muhammed Umar, said the exhibition had grown beyond a trade fair into a major international platform for governments, investors, business leaders and institutions.
Umar noted that participants would engage in investment forums, policy dialogues, sector-focused workshops, product exhibitions, business meetings, and the signing of Memoranda of Understanding and commercial agreements.
He said the summit had the backing of Vice-President Kashim Shettima, federal ministers, governors, diplomats, chambers of commerce, financial institutions and private sector leaders from both countries.
He expressed confidence that the exhibition would become a leading bilateral economic platform linking Africa and the Middle East, while promoting trade, investment, technology transfer and long-term economic cooperation between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.
The two-day summit will take place this month with organisers expecting more than 100 exhibitors and over 5,000 visitors.
The theme of the summit is “The Misconceptions, Challenges, and Opportunities in Investing in Saudi Arabia and Nigeria Today.”
RN
