Tunisia and Saudi Arabia gave, on Sunday, new impetus to their bilateral cooperation on the occasion of the opening of the work of the 12th session of the Tunisian-Saudi Joint Commission, marked by the signing of several agreements and by the affirmation of a common desire to strengthen economic and investment partnerships.
The work, organized in the Saudi capital by the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, is co-chaired by the Tunisian Minister of Economy and Planning, Samir Abdelhafidh, and his Saudi counterpart, Bandar bin Ibrahim Al-Khorayef, in the presence of official delegations from the two countries.
This session aims to broaden the prospects for strategic cooperation, in a changing regional and international context, and to translate bilateral relations into concrete and measurable projects.
Five agreements and memorandums of understanding signed
The work was punctuated by the signing of five agreements and memorandums of understanding, covering several key sectors. They relate in particular to cooperation and mutual assistance in customs matters, as well as a memorandum relating to the postal sector.
Another memorandum was concluded in the mining sector, between the Tunisian Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mines and the Saudi Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources. Media cooperation was also strengthened through an agreement between Tunisian Radio and Television and the Saudi Broadcasting Authority (SBA).
Furthermore, an executive program of cooperation and exchange of information was signed between the Tunis-Afrique-Presse Agency (TAP) and the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).
Towards new agreements and a business forum
The Tunisian Minister of Economy indicated that other agreements should be concluded on Monday, alongside the holding of a meeting between representatives of the Tunisian and Saudi private sectors, within the framework of the Tunisian-Saudi Business Forum.
Planned alongside the commission’s work, this forum is presented as a platform intended to promote partnerships between businesses and stimulate joint investments in promising sectors.
Investments, Vision 2030 and strategic sectors
Samir Abdelhafidh underlined that this 12th session constitutes a new stage in strengthening the legislative framework governing relations between the two countries. He recalled Saudi Arabia’s role in financing development projects in Tunisia, particularly in the areas of water, irrigation, rural development and the environment, as well as the importance of Saudi investments in tourism, industry, agriculture, health and education.
For his part, the Saudi minister insisted on the inclusion of this cooperation in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030, emphasizing the boosting of trade, investment and industrial partnerships.
Bandar Al-Khorayef welcomed the results recorded by the joint working group on commercial cooperation, meeting in Tunis last July, particularly in terms of mutual recognition of certificates of conformity. According to him, these advances have contributed to an increase of more than 38% in trade in 2025, compared to the previous year.
