'Riad has been a friend of Italy for over 90 years. Your companies are welcome.'

March by Arab Saudi Arabia seems insurmountable. Expo 2030, although it was won probably by improper means, is the latest move. The period when Riyadh relied on oil alone for its success is far behind it. Today, the Gulf monarchy behaves like a regional power seeking to assert itself on the world stage. Italy has also found itself in the crosshairs. We discussed this with Prince Faisal bin Sattam bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, appointed in 2018 as Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to Italy, a representative of Riyadh's new diplomatic generation, who reminds us that "Italian-Saudi relations go back a long way, to 1932, when a cooperation agreement was signed between the''by the two countries. Now, thanks to both governments, we have seen significant advances in various sectors. "

Prince Faisal, a memorandum of intent was signed in September to increase trade between the two countries. What kind of development is foreseen? "

"It should be noted that the Kingdom is a very important partner for Italy and vice versa. Suffice it to say that in 2022, the volume of trade between the two countries increased by 40% compared to 2021, surpassing the 11 billion euro mark. These are circumstances that speak well for the future.

Riyadh is focused on Saudi Arabia's Wisia 2030 program. What opportunities does it offer to Italian companies interested in investing in your''2034'.

Which sectors are attracting the interest of Saudi entrepreneurs in Italy?

"Many Saudi entrepreneurs and companies are already present in the Italian market in various sectors, including petrochemicals, aviation, communications, and food processing. We look forward to more cooperation in cybersecurity, military industry, healthcare, real estate, tourism and culture. "

Besides oil, you have big plans to develop renewable energy.

"We have already announced our intention to achieve carbon neutrality by 2060. This was announced by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman: Saudi Arabia will invest 180 billion dollars to achieve this goal. We have launched an initiative''Arab League and the normalization of relations with Iran. Undoubtedly, multilateral and multipolar cooperation at the international level contributes to stability and the resolution of many current crises. "

Israel signed the Abrahamic Accords with four Arab countries, and before the war it had plans to reach an agreement with Saudi Arabia. How has the situation changed since October 7? "

"The Kingdom supports the Palestinian cause at all levels to achieve a just solution based on international law and the Arab peace initiative. We have presented numerous initiatives in the past to resolve the issue. "