Italy-KSA: A strategic partnership where heritage meets modernity
As Italy on Monday celebrates the 79th anniversary of the foundation of the republic, which brought democracy, freedom and economic development after the horrors of two world wars, I would like to take a moment to look into the remarkable progress already achieved in the first part of this year in the bilateral relationship between Italy and Saudi Arabia.
In 2025, our two countries achieved a milestone in their relationship by upgrading it to the level of a strategic partnership. The historic visit to the Kingdom of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and her meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the end of January ushered in a new phase for our two countries. As ambassador, I had the privilege to prepare the visit and assist my prime minister during this landmark mission. In the Royal Camp of AlUla, in a traditional Saudi desert tent, I witnessed two leaders discussing extensively and with passion not only the present but also, most notably, the future.
Our diplomatic relationship is an old and very solid one, as it dates back to 1932. But it is also projected into the future, as our two leaders fully understood: Italy and Saudi Arabia have much to gain from seizing common opportunities and addressing common challenges together.
First, let me dwell on the people-to-people relations, which are the basis for a stronger and more mature strategic partnership. The Italian community in the Kingdom is growing, in parallel with the number of Saudi citizens visiting and doing business in Italy. We are indeed popular destinations for each other. I believe our peoples share many aspects of a broader Mediterranean heritage and therefore many values and habits are absolutely the same in the Kingdom and in Italy. This makes our citizens feel at home in both countries.
Politically, our governments are fully committed to the principles of de-escalation, stabilization and development of the Middle East and North Africa region. We look through the same lens at regional dynamics and we are working more and more closely on different dossiers. Italy, which is at the center of the Mediterranean Sea and is a natural bridge between Europe and the Arab world, has a key interest in a prosperous region and fully supports the Kingdom's positive agenda in this regard.
Italy and Saudi Arabia have much to gain from seizing common opportunities and challenges together.
Carlo Baldocci
The deep and accelerated reform process the Kingdom is undergoing also has the potential to have a positive effect on the whole region, prioritizing integration and development. Our economies are complementary and Italy is very well placed to continue to contribute to the implementation of Vision 2030, which is now very familiar to Italian stakeholders and public opinion.
We will continue to work with our Saudi counterparts with the spirit of partnership that is an integral part of the Italian DNA abroad. We support the Kingdom in achieving its objectives, through joint ventures and joint industrial policies. This is the key ingredient for a sustainable partnership, as it will enable our two countries to grow together and get stronger together, through exchanges of know-how, technology transfer and the cross-fertilization of our respective capacities.
During the January visit of PM Meloni, a high-level roundtable took place in the iconic location of Maraya. With the marvels of AlUla as a backdrop, we celebrated Saudi heritage — a powerful message on how the Kingdom's transformation is deeply anchored in its rich heritage and identity. The beautiful and Italian-designed Maraya concert hall reminded us that our tradition is inevitably a work in progress, which can benefit from our cooperation and is enriched every day by both creativity and technology.
Key representatives from both countries were present in Maraya and signed a significant number of agreements, not only business deals but also very relevant initiatives in the arts, with archeology, restoration and design as the map of our desire to share and experiment with our capacities. That event and that spirit, I believe, symbolize very well the essence of our strategic partnership, where heritage meets modernity and where our respective roots will guide us into a more prosperous future.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Arab News
6 minutes ago
- Arab News
Rome summons Russian envoy over Italy president on ‘Russophobe' list
Italy's foreign ministry said it considered 'the inclusion of the head of state in this list a provocation against the republic and the Italian people'Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz is also on the listROME: Italy on Wednesday summoned Russia's ambassador after Moscow included Italian President Sergio Mattarella on a list of Western officials critical of the between Rome and Moscow — already strained by the Kremlin's Ukraine invasion — have dipped further in recent days, with Italy canceling a concert last week of a pro-Kremlin foreign ministry said it considered 'the inclusion of the head of state in this list a provocation against the republic and the Italian people.'Moscow included Mattarella on its foreign ministry list of Western officials whom it accuses of using 'the language of hatred' against European leaders, such as Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz, are also on the president, Mattarella occupies a largely ceremonial Moscow has said it included him on its list for having compared Moscow's aggression in Ukraine to Nazi Minister Giorgia Meloni has been a staunch advocate of Kyiv, with Italy hosting a conference on Ukraine's recovery earlier this a statement Wednesday, she expressed solidarity for Mattarella and said his inclusion on the list was 'nothing more than yet another propaganda operation aimed at diverting attention from Moscow's serious responsibilities.'Italy has taken in thousands of Ukrainian refugees since Moscow's 2022 invasion of the country.
Arab News
6 minutes ago
- Arab News
Tens of thousands of Catholics head to Vatican's Jubilee of Youth
VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo XIV made a surprise appearance in a crowd of 120,000 young Catholics who gathered on Tuesday in Rome for the Vatican's Jubilee of Youth — an event that takes place every 25 years. The week-long event is taking place just over two months after Leo XIV became the head of the Catholic Church and the first American pope. Since Monday, groups of pilgrims — chanting and draped in flags of their countries — have flooded the streets of Italy's capital and the corners of the Vatican City. The Vatican had last week said it expected some half a million people from more than 150 countries to take part, with this year's events dedicated to faith and culture. Some 120,000 people attended the opening mass at St. Peter's Basilica Tuesday evening, according to the Vatican, where the Pope said he had a special welcome for people from regions affected by war, naming Ukraine and Palestine. Afterwards, he made a surprise appearance in the crowd aboard his 'Popemobile.' The week will culminate with a giant mass led by Pope Leo on Sunday. The Jubilee of Youth is aimed at people aged between 18 and 35. Pilgrims told AFP the subjects they most wanted to discuss at the events were wars, climate change, social inequalities and the dangers linked to AI. 'The most important topic for me is war. Everyone is talking about it, thinking about it, and we want to know what the pope thinks about it and what he expects from us,' said 25-year-old Tiago Santos from Portugal. The event is taking place after almost two years of Israeli bombardment of Gaza, which has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and UN groups warning of starvation in the blockaded territory. Thousands have also been killed in Ukraine since Russia's 2022 invasion, with Moscow continuing deadly attacks despite Western pressure to end its campaign. Teophanie Nasta, a 26-year-old from Lebanon traveling overseas for the first time, said that despite the conflicts in the Middle East she was filled with 'faith in humanity by seeing so many young people' gathered for the church. In an unprecedented move, the Vatican dedicated a series of events to Catholic influencers — a sign of growing importance of social media for the church. Speaking to them on Tuesday morning, Pope Leo warned against the dangers of undermining 'human dignity' in the AI era.
Arab News
an hour ago
- Arab News
Education spending drives Saudi POS transactions to $3.16bn
RIYADH: Education spending in Saudi Arabia increased by 3.6 percent in the week ending July 26, driving total point-of-sale transactions to SR11.87 billion ($3.16 billion), even as most other sectors saw declines. Total POS value remained above the $3 billion mark for the fifth consecutive week despite a 2.7 percent weekly drop, underscoring the resilience of consumer activity across the Kingdom, according to data from the Saudi Central Bank, also known as SAMA. The education sector recorded SR111.18 million in transaction value, with the number of transactions slipping 4.1 percent to 140,000, while overall POS transactions across all sectors declined 2.9 percent to 206.46 million. The hotels sector saw a 1.3 percent increase to SR291.07 million. On July 29, the Saudi Cabinet approved the new statistics law, enhancing the Kingdom's POS reporting with more detailed retail market insights. This update introduces refined subcategories in POS data, improving transparency and supporting data-driven decision-making in line with Vision 2030. According to SAMA's bulletin, the subcategory of books and stationery saw the largest decrease, dropping by 5.8 percent to SR98.11 million. Spending on airlines ranked next, dropping 5.6 percent to SR65.20 million. Food and beverages, the sector with the biggest share of total POS value, recorded a 1.8 percent decrease to SR1.70 billion, while the restaurants and cafes sector saw a 2.4 percent decrease, totaling SR1.55 billion and claiming the second-biggest share of this week's POS. Spending on transportation ranked third despite a 2.2 percent decline to SR945.76 million. The top three categories accounted for approximately 35.3 percent of the week's total spending, amounting to SR4.19 billion. The smallest decline was seen in spending on freight transport, postal and courier services which decreased by 0.9 percent to SR36.13 million, followed by expenditure on telecommunication, which saw a 1 percent dip to SR131.86 million. Geographically, Riyadh dominated POS transactions, with expenses in the capital reaching SR4.1 billion, a 2.7 percent decrease from the previous week. Jeddah followed closely with a 3.1 percent dip to SR1.70 billion, while Dammam ranked third, down 2.8 percent to SR566.81 million. Al-Jubail saw the smallest increase, inching up 0.6 percent to SR123.04 million, followed by Al-Baha with a 0.7 percent increase to SR76.12 million. Hail recorded 3.54 million deals in transaction volume, down 3.2 percent from the previous week, while Tabuk reached 3.93 million transactions, dropping 4.3 percent.
