Interview with the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Georgia -DIPLOMAT

There have been diplomatic relations between Georgia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia since 1994, 20 years later, in Riyadh, the Georgian Embassy was opened, and in 2018, the Saudi Arabian government opened an embassy in Georgia, thereby contributing significantly to the development of bilateral relations. We spoke with H.E. Salman Abdulrahman Al Alsheikh, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Georgia, about the dynamics of Georgia-Saudi Arabia relations.

It’s been very recently that you have been appointed as an Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Georgia. What is your personal impression of this country?

Georgia is one of the most beautiful destinations worth discovering and experiencing, as it includes all the components for the enjoyment of its visitors and residents, starting with the charming nature, wonderful tourist and historical sights, as well as various entertainment opportunities. The friendly Georgian people are distinguished by their good hospitality and their friendly personality, love of interaction and dealing at a high level with strangers and helping them. Georgia is also one of the safest countries for tourists and residents, and it is considered one of the lowest European countries in crime rates.

It’s been nearly 4 years since the Embassy of Saudi Arabia opened in Georgia, please tell us more about the whole process, how it became possible and what are the significant achievements of the Embassy’s work since then?

The Saudi-Georgian relations are characterized by strong and good relations, and they are developing day by day due to the growing atmosphere of the joint positive desire to build and activate real partnership projects between the two countries, and their development in all fields, as the opening of the Saudi Embassy in December 2018 in the city of Tbilisi was a real breakthrough to strengthen and consolidate the bilateral relations between the two friendly countries, and the subsequent high-level visits between the two sides, and also, both, the Kingdom and Georgia support each other in international organizations. Within the framework of bilateral cooperation, political, economic, commercial, and tourism fields have developed, but it seems that the effects of the emerging Corona virus (Covid-19) affected at that time the increase in trade and investment exchange between the two countries. We are all currently working to strengthen relations, achieve trade and economic growth, and overcome these effects.

How are the bilateral diplomatic relations developing between both countries?

Diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Georgia are historical as they were established on May 27, 1994 and in 2016 the first agreement was signed between the two countries, which is a general agreement related to cooperation between the Kingdom and Georgia. The relations became in growth and development and culminated by the opening of the Georgian Embassy in the Kingdom, followed by the opening of the Saudi Embassy in the capital Tbilisi, in 2018.

What recent trends have you noticed in trade between the two countries, and where do you see new opportunities for economic cooperation in Georgia?

The signing of an agreement to avoid double taxation between the two countries in March 2018, which entered into force in April 2019, led to the development and growth of trade and economic relations between the Kingdom and Georgia, as it aims to reduce tax rates for the public and private sectors and the air transport sector, and achieve economic balance between the two countries. An agreement related to air traffic was also signed, and this agreement facilitates the launch of regular and direct flights between the Kingdom and Georgia, which in turn strengthened trade, tourism and economic relations.

What would you advise the Georgian government how can they attract investors from Saudi Arabia and what makes Georgia an attractive place for Saudi Arabian investors?

There is no doubt that the relations are distinguished between the two friendly countries, and both sides are keen to develop and strengthen relations in all fields, including economic, trade and investment, and we are in the process of establishing councils that serve the economy and businessmen between the two friendly countries. Georgia provides investment opportunities in various fields such as agriculture, real estate, food production, manufacturing, energy and tourism, which in turn has attracted many Saudi businessmen to Georgia to search for investment opportunities.

What are the major areas where Saudi Arabia and Georgia could cooperate more?

In fact, we are keen on the importance of joint bilateral work that helps in deepening and developing bilateral relations and their prosperity between the Kingdom and Georgia in various fields, in a way that serves the common interests of the Saudi people and the friendly Georgian people. The areas of cooperation between the two countries are numerous, including, for example, the success of Georgia in recent years in attracting Gulf tourists in general, and Saudi tourists in particular. The number of Saudi tourists this year 2022 reached more than 100,000 visitors, compared to 2014, when their number did not exceed 5,000 Saudi tourists.