Energy, Investment, Communications, and Health Ministers of Saudi Arabia have signed 18 agreements with their counterparts in the United States. Through the aforementioned agreements, new avenues for joint cooperation in the fields of investment, energy, ICT, space, and health have been opened. Saudi Press Agency reports that thirteen bilateral agreements were signed during US President Joe Biden’s visit to the Kingdom. These agreements were signed with the Ministry of Investment, the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu, and various private companies. Among them are Boeing Aerospace, Raytheon Defence Industries, Medtronic and Digital Diagnostics, IKVIA in the healthcare sector, as well as many other US companies in energy, tourism, education, manufacturing and textiles.
The Saudi Space Authority signed the Artemis Accord with the US Space Agency (NASA). This will allow it to explore the Moon and Mars with NASA. It will also enable it to join the international coalition preparing to explore and use the Moon, Mars, comets, and asteroids peacefully. A memorandum of cooperation between the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and IBM, a leading digital tech company, was signed. This upskilling program is designed to upskill 100,000 young people over 5 years within 8 innovative initiatives to position the Kingdom as a regional leader in technology and innovation.
Additionally, MCIT signed a cooperation agreement with the US National Communications and Information Administration (NTIA) regarding 5G and 6G technologies. This agreement aims at accelerating the growth of the digital economy and enhancing the pace of research, development, and innovation in the Kingdom’s digital ecosystem. Saudi Arabia and the United States of America signed a partnership agreement on clean energy, covering areas and projects of cooperation in this sector. This agreement also covers cooperation on civil nuclear energy and uranium, reinforcing their efforts to promote clean energy and climate change. A memorandum of cooperation on public health, medical sciences, and research was also signed between Saudi Arabia and the United States.
In public health, the memorandum supports and bolsters existing relationships among individuals, organizations and institutions. The initiative also aims to consolidate joint efforts in addressing public health issues and medical, scientific and research challenges, as well as exchanging information, expertise, and academics. As part of the memorandum, workers in the health and medical fields will be trained jointly, while health information systems, research and development, and health innovation will also be addressed.