H.E. Mr. Roberto Pace, Ambassador-Designate of Malta to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, together with a group of EU Heads of Mision led by H.E. Mr. Christophe Farnaud, Head of the EU Delegation to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Oman, visited the region of Qassim, one of the 13 provinces of Saudi Arabia that occupies a strategically crucial position within the Kingdom. Located at the heart of the country on the Nejd Plateau, the region has been a vital junction of major Arabian Peninsula trade routes dating back to the 9^th Hijri century.

The visit started with a meeting with Mr. Ali Al Muqbil, Chairperson of the Board of the Chamber of Commerce of Qassim, who introduced the Ambassadors present to various economic opportunities in the region, mostly related to agricultural output as Qassim is known as “the food basket of Saudi Arabia” and hosts the world’s largest date palm farm.

The EU Heads of Mission then proceeded to the Emirate of Al Qassim Province where they were welcomed by H.R.H. Prof. Faisal Bin Mishaal Bin Saud, and who has been serving as Qassim’s governor since 2015. Prince Faisal welcomed the Ambassadors and gave them an overview of the region, with a particular focus on the region’s strategy to align with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.

The Ambassadors then toured Qassim University, which was formally established in 2003 and hosts over 50,000 students, employs over 6,000 academic personnel in a sprawling campus in Buraydah that is approximately 100² km big. Dr. Mohammed bin Fahad Al-Sharekh, President of Qassim University welcomed the group with whom he discussed a wide range of topics, including research collaboration, student exchange programs, sustainability research and educational partnership models.

The day ended with a visit to the Salam Veterinary Group, the first and largest veterinary and treatment company in Saudi Arabia, and the largest in the world. The Group, which employs over 500 employees, is globally unique in its scale and production, and addresses a gap in world-class veterinary services for high-value livestock (camels) in the Middle East and beyond. Mr. Fahad Bin Sulaiman Al Fahad, CEO of the Group, gave the Ambassadors a tour of the facilities followed by a discussion on potential collaboration in biotechnology partnerships, research, veterinary standards and reproductive technology.