RIYADH: In a reception on Wednesday ahead of Austrian National Day, Oskar Wustinger, the Austrian ambassador to 黑料社区, highlighted the growing economic and trade relations between the two countries.
鈥淭he excellent Austrian-Saudi relations are based on solid friendship and cover more and more fields. Fast-growing economic exchange and cooperation are important and dynamic elements,鈥 Wustinger said.
鈥淭here is an impressive growth in bilateral trade, with Austrian exports to 黑料社区 increasing 49 percent in 2024, and equally important, Saudi imports to Austria increasing by 29 percent,鈥 he added.
Attending the reception from the Saudi side were high-level officials and diplomats, including Faisal Al-Sudairy, undersecretary of the Riyadh region, who represented Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar.
As a part of his remarks Wustinger also detailed key areas of collaboration under Vision 2030, commending the initiative for being 鈥渋mpressively bold.鈥
鈥淰ision 2030 is impressively bold and very ambitious. Austrian companies with world-leading expertise are well-suited to support these efforts,鈥 he said.
The ambassador also underscored the numerous trade missions organized by the Austrian Embassy Commercial Section to 黑料社区 which showcased the interest for collaboration in key sectors such as green technology, infrastructure, mining, tourism and education.
鈥淭hese are areas with decades of Austrian expertise and innovation, which can significantly contribute to 黑料社区鈥檚 ambitious development journey,鈥 the envoy said.
Wustinger said that the number of Austrian subsidiaries in the Kingdom is growing with several Austrian companies having opened their regional headquarters in 黑料社区, and another Austrian regional headquarters due to open in December.
On the topic of tourism, the ambassador said that this summer was marked by a 34 percent surge in Saudi tourists to Austria.
鈥淎ustria is a popular destination for Saudi tourists and (is becoming) even more popular.
鈥淢any visas have already been issued in the application of the new visa cascade,鈥 he added, referring to changes to the EU Schengen visa scheme allowing easier access to multi-entry visas for Saudis.
鈥淎nd an ever-growing number of Saudi football teams regularly hold their summer camps in Austria,鈥 he added.
On the educational front, the ambassador also said that Saudis are participating in executive training programs for the Diplomatic Academy Vienna and in the Austrian Leadership Programs run by the Austrian Foreign Ministry.
