Saudi Arabia's image for most of Koreans is that thanks to construction boom in the 1970s, Korean construction pioneers paved the way for the development of Saudi Arabia's infrastructure as well as its economy today's Saudi Arabia enjoys.

Such Saudi Arabia is changing with its country's Vision 2030 plan which expresses its long-term goals and expectations and it is built upon its country's unique strengths and capabilities, according to Saudi Amb. Riyad A. Almubaraky who hosted his country's 89th Anniversary reception luncheon at a downtown hotel Seoul on Sep. 18th noon one week earlier than its actual National Day date.

The groundbreaking agenda of Saudi Vision 2030 is built on three pillars-a vibrant society, a thriving economy and an ambitious nation-that draw on the country's intrinsic strengths to help the Kingdom's citizens realize their aspirations, according to the Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Seoul.

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and Deputy Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman's official Visit Korea at the end of June this year was an another milestone to bolster bilateral relationship one notch higher, said Almubaraky.

As a key friendly nation, Saudi Arabia is the largest supplier of crude oil to Korea and, at the same time, Korea’s biggest economic partner in the Middle East. Notably, Korea is a strategic player in Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 economic and social reform initiative led by the Crown Prince. In that regard, his visit served as a catalyst for strengthening substantive collaboration between Korea and Saudi Arabia in a range of areas.

Their discussions went beyond conventional cooperation in construction, infrastructure and energy to include working together in future industries involving ICT, nuclear power generation, green cars and SMEs as well as public services connected to healthcare, medical services, national defense, the defense industry, intellectual properties and e-government.

In conjuction with such collaborations & partnerships regarding national defense & the defense industry, Defense Minister Chung Kyung-doo also who attended as a guest honor to stress close partnerships of such areas between the two nations, mentioned the importance of defense cooperations, touching upon Korea-Saudi Arabia National Defense-Defense Industry Cooperative Committee held in Riyad on May, this year where the two counterparts confirmed their desire & will to cooperate in those areas.

In connection with Saudi Arabia's relative importance in the region, Saudi envoy contributed his National Day message to the NDNnews(www.ndnnews.co.kr) & Seoulcity magazine Sep. issue as follows. -Ed.

"The Kingdom plays a key role in maintaining security and stability in the region, and it enjoys a regional, Arab, Islamic and international status, while playing an active and influential role in international decision-making, and its continuous pursuit for international peace and security.

Moreover, the Kingdom is one of the largest countries supporting the humanitarian and relief work in the world, aware of the importance of alleviating human suffering and ensuring a decent life for those who are vulnerable and needy. The foreign aid provided by the Kingdom during the last two decades amounted to more than 84.7 billion US dollars."

(About the rest story of his message, please refer to the Sep. issue of the Seoulcity magazine!)