• “The main objective (of the visit) is to strengthen the relationship between the EU and Saudi Arabia,” Stefano Sannino said
• His position was created by the EU just seven months ago to strengthen ties with the region

Lama Alhamawi

RIYADH: The newly appointed EU director-general for MENA Gulf hailed Saudi Arabia as a key partner for regional stability during his recent visit to the country, exploring more areas of collaboration across diverse sectors.

“The main objective (of the visit) is to strengthen the relationship between the EU and Saudi Arabia,” Stefano Sannino said.

“Saudi Arabia is a key partner for the EU and is a key partner for the stability of the region and beyond; it’s a key partner from an economic point of view and is a main energy actor,” he added. “We are very much interested to go beyond energy and are looking at a lot of potential of Vision 2030 and diversification of the economy.”

Sannino’s position was created by the EU just seven months ago to strengthen ties with the region.

The director-general, who visited the Kingdom more than a decade ago, witnessed the social and infrastructural transformation driven by Vision 2030.

He held meetings with major institutions, engaged with representatives from the cultural and investment communities, and a diverse group of leading Saudi women across sectors.

“I wanted to have a firsthand perception of what Saudi Arabia is looking for in the future and how we can work together,” he said.

“What I imagine in the future is a strong partnership between Saudi Arabia and the European Union based on a common vision of how we want to support the development of our societies to become inclusive and open to the world, and be able to provide stability and prosperity of our people.” 

Asked about potential areas for wider collaboration between the EU and Saudi Arabia, Sannino specifically cited technology, the digital sector, energy (with a focus on renewables), and people-to-people exchanges.

“We believe that there is a huge potential in increasing our cooperation when it comes to higher education (and) vocational training,” he said.

“I very much like the idea of bringing together the cultural sectors of our societies to create common projects that are linking our people and the youth of our countries.”