JEDDAH: Saudi-UK business ties are set to grow as more than 400 leaders from various sectors gathered in London to explore cross-border investment opportunities and strengthen economic partnerships.

Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih led the Kingdom’s delegation at the UK-Saudi Investment and Partnership Summit held on June 11 at Mansion House in London’s financial district.

The Kingdom and the UK are strengthening economic ties, with bilateral trade hitting $21.6 billion in 2023 and a shared target of $37.5 billion by 2030, driven by the UK-GCC Free Trade Agreement negotiations and the UK’s GREAT Futures campaign.

Investment flows remain strong, with Saudi Arabia investing over $21 billion in the UK since 2017, including $3.5 billion in the northeast, while UK foreign direct investment in the Kingdom reached $13 billion by 2023.

Organized by the UK-British Joint Business Council and hosted by the City of London Corp., the summit was supported by the Saudi Ministry of Investment and the UK Department for Business and Trade, the Saudi Press Agency reported.

According to Al-Falih, the Kingdom and the UK share a bold vision for global leadership and a longstanding legacy of international trade.

“More than 30,000 UK British professionals reside in Saudi Arabia, and British investment in the Kingdom exceeds £14 billion, reflecting the bright future of the partnership between the two countries,” the minister said in a post on his X handle.

Al-Falih delivered the keynote speech, highlighting investment opportunities in infrastructure, financial services, and the green economy, as over 400 leaders gained insights into evolving markets and emerging investment trends.

The minister also engaged in a high-level ministerial dialogue with UK Investment Minister Baroness Poppy Gustafsson, highlighting the evolution of the strategic relationship and the countries’ shared outlook for the future.

“Today, I met with our UK partners— including Baroness Poppy Gustafsson, minister of investment; His Excellency Ambassador of the UK to Saudi Arabia Neil Crompton; and the Rt Hon. Lord Mayor of London, Alastair King— to discuss enhanced investment cooperation and partnership between our great nations,” Al-Falih said in a post on X.

In a separate post, the Saudi minister said: “At the historic Mansion House in the City of London, I spoke to an elite group of global investors, inviting them to explore the exceptional opportunities offered by Saudi Arabia. I shared insights into our future investment prospects, particularly in mutually prioritized sectors.”

In his speech, the minister discussed progress under the Mansion House Accord — a UK-led initiative to unlock up to £50 billion ($63.5 billion) in domestic investment from pension funds into high-growth sectors.

Panel discussions addressed joint development priorities aligned with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and the UK’s industrial strategy, Invest 2035 — the UK government’s 10-year plan to provide certainty and stability for investments in high-growth sectors driving national growth.

Key topics included expanding public-private partnerships, mobilizing capital for large-scale infrastructure and real estate projects, supporting venture capital ecosystems, and harnessing frontier technologies such as deep tech, space, and clean innovation.

The Saudi Ministry of Investment noted that the summit agenda was designed to encourage practical dialogue, facilitate cross-border investment flows, and accelerate economic diversification through sustainable, forward-looking partnerships.

The London meetings followed the launch of the UK-Saudi Sustainable Infrastructure Assembly in May, a platform uniting companies, policymakers, and experts from both countries to shape the future of investment in infrastructure.

The assembly is part of the UK government’s “Great Futures” campaign, which promotes bilateral cooperation in trade, investment, tourism, education, and culture. A concluding meeting is planned for the Future Investment Initiative in Riyadh this fall. 

New Saudi offices in the UK, including those of the Public Investment Fund subsidiaries, NEOM, and Elm, alongside 52 UK firms establishing regional headquarters in Riyadh, further highlight expanding cross-border engagement.

Both nations also collaborate in areas such as energy, financial services, education, and green technologies. London has become a preferred hub for Saudi capital, with $69.9 billion raised since 2022 — $13.8 billion of which targeted sustainable finance.

RIYADH: Uzbekistan’s cooperation with Saudi Arabia on ecology and environmental protection is steadily progressing, with the Central Asian nation aiming to deepen this partnership through the exchange of knowledge and innovation, a top official said.

Speaking to Arab News on the sidelines of the Tashkent International Investment Forum, Uzbekistan’s Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change Aziz Abdukhakimov said that the country wishes to collaborate with the Kingdom to develop effective solutions to issues including dust and sand storms. 

Saudi Arabia is spearheading climate action efforts across the Middle East, with ambitions to plant 10 billion trees, rehabilitate 40 million hectares of degraded land, and reduce carbon emissions by more than 278 million tonnes per year.

“Our cooperation with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the field of ecology and environmental protection is both dynamic and built on the principles of mutual respect and cooperative spirit. Within the framework of the Intergovernmental Commission between our two countries, we maintain a regular and constructive dialogue, exchanging views on the current state of cooperation and discussing long-term priorities between our environmental agencies. We also explore new avenues of cooperation,” said Abdukhakimov. 

He added: “We envision cooperation between our national parks and protected natural areas. Saudi Arabia currently has over 70 protected areas, covering nearly 18 percent of its territory. By sharing expertise in ecosystem preservation and species protection, we can strengthen conservation efforts on both sides.” 

The minister further said that such collaborations will allow the exchange of expertise in preserving unique ecosystems and rare species of flora and fauna. 

Abdukhakimov added that Uzbekistan’s Central Asian University of Environmental and Climate Change Studies is seeking to establish academic partnerships with institutions in the Kingdom, including King Saud University and King Abdulaziz University, for the exchange of scientific knowledge and innovations in the environmental field. 

“Our cooperation with Saudi Arabia is built on a foundation of trust, mutual interest and a shared responsibility for sustainable development. We look forward to deepening this partnership in the years ahead,” said the minister. 

The minister further said that Uzbekistan sees great opportunities for broader regional cooperation through the Middle East Green Initiative, which offers a valuable platform for environmental innovation, joint research, and investment in green infrastructure - particularly in areas like desertification control, sustainable land management and cross-border technology transfer. 

He also invited Saudi partners to participate in the international Eco Expo Central Asia exhibition to be held in Tashkent from June 19 to 21, as well as the 20th CITES COP20 Conference, which will take place in Samarkand from Nov. 24 to Dec. 5.

Uzbekistan’s environmental agenda

During the interview, Abdukhakimov told Arab News that Uzbekistan is currently facing several severe environmental challenges, both globally and regionally, including climate change, desertification, and land degradation. 

“These issues are the legacy of decades of unsustainable natural resource use and ineffective environmental management and a bitter lesson that we learn,” he said. 

To address these challenges, the Uzbek government, under the leadership of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, is taking various measures, including a push for a green economy, a transition to environmentally friendly transportation, and the development of alternative and renewable energy sources. 

Saudi Arabia is also collaborating with Uzbekistan to advance its energy transition journey, which aims to generate 40 percent of its electricity from clean sources by the end of this decade.

Saudi utility giant ACWA Power is the largest foreign player in Uzbekistan’s energy sector, with the company already implementing 19 projects in the country worth a combined value of $5 billion. 

Out of these 19 initiatives, eight are focused on renewable energy, which is expected to support the Central Asian nation’s goal to achieve 20 gigawatts of clean energy capacity by 2030. 

During the Tashkent Investment Forum, Abid Malik, president of ACWA Power for Central Asia, announced that Uzbekistan will commence producing green hydrogen this month, with an annual production capacity of 3,000 tonnes.

In 2023, Mirziyoyev launched a pilot green hydrogen facility in the Tashkent Region in cooperation with ACWA Power. The $88 million project is being implemented in two phases, with production from the first phase expected to begin this month.

During the forum, Soumendra Rout, ACWA Power’s country head for Uzbekistan, said that the company is planning to invest $5 billion in the Central Asian nation as a part of its broader strategy aimed at increasing its total commitments in the country to $15 billion. 

Abdukhakimov added that Uzbekistan, through the nationwide project Yashil Makon “Green Space,” aims to plant 200 million trees annually. 

Under the project, Uzbekistan has planted over 850 million tree and shrub seedlings over the past four years. 

“We’ve also launched the Uzbekistan–2030 Strategy, where one of the central goals is to ensure a healthy and sustainable environment for all. Furthermore, we’ve declared 2025 the year of Environmental Protection and Green Economy, a vision that reflects our national commitment to ecological priorities,” said the minister. 

He added: “In terms of policy, we’ve adopted several strategic documents, including the Concept for Environmental Protection until 2030, the Strategy for Solid Household Waste Management, the Forestry Development Concept, and a comprehensive program to raise environmental awareness among the public.” 

Abdukhakimov further added that Uzbekistan is also strengthening institutions for environmental monitoring and control, with the country modernizing its environmental monitoring systems and expanding its meteorological network. 

“All of these efforts reflect Uzbekistan’s systematic and science-based approach to solving environmental problems, as well as our growing engagement with the global environmental community. We are determined to build a greener, more resilient future for our people,” he added. 

According to the minister, Uzbekistan is actively undergoing a strategic shift from a linear to a circular economic model, where waste is no longer viewed merely as a byproduct but as a valuable resource. 

“These initiatives are not only improving our national waste processing capacity but are also creating green jobs, enhancing public health and helping us meet national climate targets under the Paris Agreement,” he added. 

Cooperation with regional partners

According to Abdukhakimov, Uzbekistan, like other Central Asian nations, is located in one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions. 

He added that the average temperature in the region has risen by 1.5 degrees Celsius — twice the global average, while the area of glaciers has decreased by 30 percent in the last 50 to 60 years, resulting in water shortages, land degradation, and reduced crop yields. 

“Central Asian countries share not only geographic and ecological systems, but also the risks driven by climate change, such as desertification, drought, and declining agricultural productivity. Uzbekistan views collaboration as the most effective strategy to forge a common, sustainable future,” said the minister. 

To ensure regional cooperation, Uzbekistan also hosted the Samarkand Climate Forum in April, where the Regional Green Development Concept was presented. 

The minister said that this document serves as a foundation for shaping coordinated climate policy and strengthening regional solidarity in the face of global challenges. 

Uzbekistan is also actively engaged in numerous regional initiatives, including the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea, the Regional Environmental Center for Central Asia, and the CAREC Program, as well as projects with the World Bank, OSCE, and UNESCO.

Abdukhakimov further said that these initiatives will facilitate knowledge exchange, joint management of natural resources, and the mobilization of international funding. 

“In all our regional work, we are guided by the principles of solidarity, mutual benefit, and synergy. We believe that only through collective action can we ensure the sustainability, security, and prosperity of our entire region in the face of climate change,” the minister said.