Nigeria to host Saudi investors in March — Lai Mohammed

The Federal Government says it will be hosting a team of investors from Saudi Arabia in March to explore areas of business and investments benefit between both countries.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said this on Wednesday in Abuja when he briefed newsmen on the outcome of his recent official visit to Saudi Arabia.

It was reported that the minister embarked on official visit to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia in company of Africa’s richest man and Nigeria business mogul, Alhaji Aliko Dangote.

Also in the company of the minister was the Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Mr Zurab Pololikashvili.

The minister said the visit was part of the decisions reached at the maiden UNWTO Global Conference on Tourism and Creative Industry hosted by Nigeria in Lagos late 2022.

The minister said at the meeting in Riyadh that officials and business men from Saudi Arabia expressed their readiness to invest in Nigeria particularly in the tourism and oil and gas sector.

He said it was resolved that Saudi Arabia’s Export Promotion Council would be leading a team of investors from that country to Nigeria in March.

Mohammed also said that the Federal Government had directed its Ministry of Trade and Investment to work with Dangote to ensure a successful and beneficial hosting of the Saudi investors.

The minister noted that the Saudi Authority had expressed their readiness to welcome Nigerian investors into their country.

He allayed the fear that religion could be a hinderance to any investors from Nigeria going to Saudi Arabia.

According to the minister, the Saudi Authority has opened up its visa regime to investors including non-muslims to come to the country.

He said n the new Saudi visa regime, investors going to that country would be granted visa in two days.

Mohammed, therefore, enjoined Nigerian businessmen who were willing to invest in Saudi Arabia to take advantage of the bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and Saudi-Arabia.