Crown Prince receives South African President in Jeddah; sign agreements, MoUs

Crown Prince and South Africa’s President during the reception ceremony

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman received on Oct. 15 South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa at Al-Salam Palace in Jeddah, where an official reception ceremony was held.

The leaders held an official session of talks, where they reviewed relations between their two countries and aspects of cooperation in various fields.

They also witnessed the exchange ceremony of an agreement, a cooperation program and bilateral memorandums of understanding (MoUs) between the two countries.

A cooperation agreement was signed between the Kingdom and South Africa in the field of maritime transport, by Minister of Transport and Logistics Saleh Al-Jasser and his South African counterpart Fikile April Mbalula.

In addition, the ceremony witnessed a technical cooperation program between the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO) and the South African Bureau of Standards (SABS).

MoUs for cooperation and exchange of news were also signed between the Saudi Press Agency (SPA) and South African Government News Agency (SAnews), as well as between the two governments for the promotion of direct investment, in addition to MoU for cooperation between the Economic Cities and Special Zones Authorities (ECZA) and South Africa’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Competition.

The agreements also included MoUs in the field of communications and information technology, a draft MoU on the study of the establishment of a joint investment fund, another for technical cooperation in the fields of agriculture, fisheries and aquaculture, in addition to others for cooperation in the fields of social development, the mutual recognition of seafarers' certificates and health.

Meanwhile, the two countries concluded a MoU for cooperation in the field of military acquisition and a draft MoU between the Saudi EXIM Bank and the Export Credit Insurance Corporation of South Africa.

They also signed a draft MoU between the Saudi Geological Survey and MINTEK, South Africa's national mineral research, to cooperate in the fields of earth sciences, and a draft MoU between the Saudi Geological Survey and the Council for Geoscience (CGS).

South Africa’s President, arrived in Jeddah on Oct. 14, where he was received by Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, the Governor of Makkah, at King Abdulaziz International Airport.