Riyadh: Saudi Arabia and Qatar enjoy historical relations based on common perspectives governed by the bonds of brotherhood, kinship and common destiny. They also have many social, cultural, political, security, economic and youth aspects in common.
The Saudi Press Agency (SPA) stressed in a report yesterday that the leaders of the two countries are keen to further boost cooperation and exert efforts to ensure regional security and stability, address various challenges, and achieve progress and prosperity, emphasising that the mutual official visits have contributed to increased cooperation between the Kingdom and the State of Qatar in various fields, based on their leaderships’ belief in the importance of direct communication, which strengthens cohesion and mutual understanding.
The report mentioned that as part of efforts to further encourage joint action, the Saudi-Qatari Coordination Council has contributed to institutionalising and boosting relations, including via cooperation initiatives in various fields and effective mechanisms to follow up on their implementation, based on the Saudi Vision 2030 and the Qatar National Vision 2030, indicating that the two visions provide great opportunities to enhance cooperation and develop bilateral relations between the two countries in all fields because of the common goals they share, which effectively contributed to achieving advanced positions in various international indicators to meet the aspirations of the leadership of the two countries, achieve the interests of the two brotherly peoples, and advance the partnership to broader horizons.
It highlighted the leaderships of the two countries’ keenness to strengthen bilateral relations and complement their efforts to help the GCC ensure security and stability in the region, achieve progress and prosperity, address various challenges, and bring cooperation among member states to the highest level.
SPA report also noted that Saudi Arabia and Qatar have trade relations, as the balance of trade of non-oil goods between the two exceeds SAR1.3bn. Saudi exports amount to over SAR300m, which included plastics and its products, live animals, salts, cement, and vegetables, while re-exported goods amount to more than SAR2.4bn that included ships, boats, floating facilities, cars and its parts, precious metals and gemstones, machinery and mechanical tools and its parts, and fruits.
The report added that the total value of non-oil imports by Saudi Arabia stands at over SAR1.3bn, which included mineral products, ships, boats, floating facilities, inorganic chemical products, live animals, plastics and its products.
On the cultural aspect, SPA report noted the keenness of the two countries to strengthen their cultural ties, and in support of this, the Kingdom was a guest of honour at the Doha International Book Fair 2023 with the aim of consolidating culture, highlighting heritage, arts and literature, and introducing the cultural and historical heritage, Saudi values, and customs and traditions, where a memorandum of understanding was signed between the ministries of culture in the two brotherly countries, to enhance joint cooperation in various cultural fields.
