The Federal Government has announced that it will welcome a delegation of Saudi investors in March to investigate areas of commercial and investment benefit between the two nations.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, stated this on Wednesday in Abuja while briefing reporters on the outcome of his recent official visit to Saudi Arabia. The minister traveled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with Africa’s richest man and Nigerian business magnate, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.
Mr Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), was also present. The minister stated that the visit was part of the choices made at the first UNWTO Global Conference on Tourism and Creative Industry, which Nigeria would host in late 2022 in Lagos.
During the meeting in Riyadh, the minister stated that Saudi officials and businesspeople showed their willingness to invest in Nigeria, particularly in the tourism and oil and gas sectors. He stated that it had been decided that the Saudi Export Promotion Council will lead a team of investors from that nation to Nigeria in March.
Mohammed further stated that the Federal Government has authorized the Ministry of Trade and Investment to collaborate with Dangote in order to achieve a successful and advantageous hosting of Saudi investors.
The minister stated that the Saudi Authority has shown its willingness to welcome Nigerian investors. He allayed fears that religion would be a barrier to any Nigerian investors visiting Saudi Arabia.
According to the minister, the Saudi government has relaxed its visa requirements for investors, including non-Muslims, who wish to visit the Kingdom. He stated that under the new Saudi visa policy, investors visiting the Kingdom will be issued visas in two days.
As a result, Mohammed urged Nigerian companies interested in investing in Saudi Arabia to take advantage of the bilateral collaboration between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.
