In an op-ed today in Al Arabiya, Patrick Ryan of SUSRIS notes that while geopolitical issues are making headlines in advance of King Salman’s first visit to Washington as King, “no less visible will be the importance of the historic business relationship between the kingdom and America as demonstrated by an expected high-powered, day-long investment forum.”
“The importance of the symposium is exemplified by the opening panel lineup: Ministers of Finance, Commerce and Industry, and Health and the Governor of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority. Both sides are clearly open for business and working hard to expand trade and investment,” Ryan writes.
Quoting SUSTG’s President Richard Wilson, Ryan writes that the trade relationship is at a critical juncture. “We’re seeing a significant change in the trade balance and flow between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia,” adding, “Specifically, U.S. commodity imports, primarily oil, are down 60% this year,” Wilson said.
