The fourth session of the Malta-Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Joint Economic Commission was convened in Riyadh from 4 to 5 December 2023. The Joint Commission was co-chaired by Permanent Secretary for the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, Mr. Christopher Cutajar, on the Maltese side, and by His Excellency, the Deputy Minister for Political Affairs and Acting Deputy Minister for Economic and Development Affairs, Ambassador Dr. Saud bin Mohammed Al Sati, on the side of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The Joint Commission dealt with cooperation in various fields, including agriculture, energy, fisheries, transportation, trade, investment, and tourism. Together with representatives from the Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade, delegates from the Ministry for Health, the Ministry for the Economy, European Funds and Lands, the Ministry for the National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government, Malta Enterprise, and MCAST participated in the negotiations in Riyadh. Exchanging views on potential cooperation between the two countries, Mr. Cutajar and H.E. Dr. Al Sati each placed emphasis on the respective strategic positions of Malta and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the importance of this to avenues of and opportunities for cooperation.

A bilateral meeting was also held between Mr. Cutajar and H.E. Eng. Waleed bin Abdulkarim El-Khereiji, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where bilateral and regional matters of common concern were discussed, including preparations for the opening of an Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Malta. Following this meeting, a visa waiver agreement for holders of diplomatic and service passports was signed.

The Maltese delegation also met with the Saudi General Authority of Foreign Trade, where Mr. Cutajar made reference to the areas of cooperation identified during the Joint Commission, particularly referring to both sides’ intention to form a MT-KSA technical committee on maritime transport and ports. Improving connectivity, including in aviation, would be essential if the economic and commercial relationship between the two countries were to be improved.