The second Senior Officials’ Meeting between the European Union and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) was held today in Brussels in a very constructive spirit.

The meeting offered a platform to consolidate further the enhanced bilateral cooperation between the two sides at experts level, in line with the EU Joint Communication for a Strategic Partnership with the Gulf; and building upon the positive outcome of the first Senior Officials’ meeting in Riyadh on 8 June 2022, which launched the implementation of the Cooperation Arrangement between the EEAS and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Saudi Arabia.

Experts from both sides exchanged views on issues of mutual interest, such as trade and  investment, climate, green transition, humanitarian assistance, development cooperation, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, education, research, and innovation; aiming at further deepening cooperation and intensifying synergies.

The discussions took place in two separate Working Groups on “Trade and Economic issues”, co-chaired at senior-officials level by the European Commission DG Trade and the Saudi Authority of Foreign Trade; and on “Global Agenda Issues”, co-chaired by the EEAS and the Saudi Ministry of Finance.

The next Senior Officials' Meeting will be held in 2024 in Riyadh.