السعودية واليونان: تقدم مشروع الكيبل البحري للربط الرقمي بين الشرق والغرب

Based on the distinguished relations that bind the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Hellenic Republic and their friendly peoples, and coinciding with the centenary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries, the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, made an official visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on 14 Jumada al-Awwal 1448 AH, corresponding to October 25, 2026 AD.
The Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, welcomed the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, in Riyadh, where they held an official discussion session. They exchanged congratulations on the centenary of diplomatic relations, reviewed the bilateral relations between the two countries, and discussed ways to develop them in all fields.
Both sides praised the achievements of the Crown Prince and Prime Minister's visit to the Hellenic Republic in July 2022, during which the establishment of the Saudi-Hellenic Strategic Partnership Council was announced, and the visit of the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in January 2025, during which the first meeting of the Saudi-Hellenic Strategic Partnership Council was held. They noted the positive results that contributed to expanding cooperation and developing relations between the two countries, and emphasized the importance of the Saudi-Hellenic Strategic Partnership Council as an effective institutional framework to enhance the strategic partnership between the two countries. They expressed their aspiration to continue working within the framework of the council and to implement priority joint initiatives.
In the economic, commercial, and investment fields, both sides praised the strength of the economic ties between the two friendly countries and agreed on the importance of enhancing them, especially in sectors of common priority, and benefiting from the investment opportunities provided by the strategic visions and directions in both countries. They commended the growth of bilateral trade and noted the increase in trade volume since 2021, reaching approximately 1.7 billion US dollars in 2025. They also welcomed the progress made within the framework of the Investment and Trade Committee stemming from the Saudi-Hellenic Strategic Partnership Council and emphasized the importance of working to implement the agreed-upon initiatives and translating them into tangible results. They welcomed the recent convening of the Saudi-Hellenic Business Council meeting in the Greek capital, Athens, and agreed on the importance of enhancing investment relations in key sectors, including infrastructure, construction, energy, digital connectivity, logistics, and technology, to achieve mutual benefit.
Both sides appreciated the progress made in implementing the Marine Cable Project (EMC Cable) to enhance digital connectivity between East and West, and affirmed their commitment to continue cooperation and coordination to complete the project according to the approved timeline. The Saudi side welcomed Greek investors and companies and expressed its aspiration to attract quality investments and advanced expertise in various promising sectors, encouraging Greek companies to open their regional offices in the Kingdom and explore opportunities in major projects, including those related to the Kingdom hosting the Riyadh Expo 2030 and the 2034 FIFA World Cup. The Greek side encouraged Saudi companies to explore investment opportunities in Greece, highlighting the strategic location of the Hellenic Republic as a gateway to the European market and the broader Southeast European region, in addition to the available opportunities in the energy, transport, logistics, digital infrastructure, and advanced technologies sectors.
In the field of energy, the Hellenic side praised the Kingdom's efforts and its leading role in enhancing the reliability and stability of global oil markets, as well as its positive role in balancing global energy markets, serving the interests of both producing and consuming countries, and achieving sustainable economic growth.
Both sides emphasized the utmost importance of protecting the security and safety of international maritime corridors, ensuring the safe and continuous flow of energy supplies to global markets without interruption or restrictions. They expressed their concern regarding attacks targeting energy infrastructure, which affect supply availability and market stability.
The Hellenic side commended the efforts and initiatives undertaken by the Kingdom to contribute to ensuring supply continuity and enhancing supply chain resilience, particularly through the use of alternative export routes such as the East-West pipeline, which has helped mitigate market volatility and enhance global energy security.
Both sides affirmed the importance of the cooperation memorandum signed in 2022 in the energy sector, including the electricity interconnection project between the two countries (the Saudi-Greek interconnection). They expressed their commitment to accelerate cooperation in this area due to its strategic importance. The Saudi side noted that this project is one of several electricity interconnection initiatives that the Kingdom is working to implement as part of its efforts to become a global hub for electricity interconnection and energy export. Its implementation will yield mutual benefits, including the exchange and export of electricity, enhancing the security and reliability of interconnected energy networks, and strengthening the electricity interconnection between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Europe through the Hellenic Republic. For its part, the Greek side highlighted Greece's strategic location and its existing infrastructure as essential pillars for developing it into a regional energy and digital connectivity hub, which complements the electricity interconnection project and enhances connectivity between the two regions.
Both sides emphasized the importance of enhancing cooperation in the field of clean hydrogen and exploring opportunities for its export from the Kingdom to the Hellenic Republic, reaching demand centers in other EU countries.
They pointed to the importance of developing investments between the two sides in traditional and renewable energy, and petrochemicals, to diversify global supply chains, cooperate in developing the required technologies, and enable collaboration between companies to maximize the utilization of local resources in both countries, contributing to achieving energy supply resilience and efficiency.
Both sides agreed on the importance of enhancing cooperation in energy efficiency and rationalizing consumption in the buildings, industry, and transport sectors, raising awareness of its importance, in addition to cooperation in the energy services sector and developing capacities in energy efficiency.
Regarding climate change issues, both sides affirmed the importance of adhering to the principles of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement, and the importance of joint cooperation to develop carbon circular economy applications by promoting policies for using the carbon circular economy as a tool for managing emissions and achieving climate change mitigation and adaptation goals.
Both sides confirmed the importance of enhancing cooperation and partnership in the following areas: (1) digital economy, artificial intelligence, emerging technologies, and space technologies, (2) transport, logistics, and civil aviation, (3) judiciary and justice, (4) culture, (5) tourism, (6) sports and youth, (7) scientific and educational cooperation, (8) media, (9) advanced industries, and supporting supply chain integration, (10) environment, water, and agriculture, (11) public health and health security, pharmaceutical industries, and biotechnology.
Both sides affirmed their determination to enhance cooperation and coordination in defense areas that serve and achieve mutual interests and contribute to achieving security and peace in the region and the world. They confirmed their efforts to enhance security cooperation and coordination on issues of mutual interest, including combating crime in all its forms and manifestations, combating extremism and terrorism and their financing, exchanging expertise and training in these areas, and agreed on the importance of enhancing cooperation in cybersecurity and sharing information to protect the fundamental interests of both countries and their national security.
At the conclusion of the visit, the Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, expressed his gratitude and appreciation to Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for the warm welcome and generous hospitality he and the accompanying delegation received. The Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, expressed his best wishes for good health and well-being, and further progress and prosperity for the friendly Greek people.