Saudi Arabia celebrates National Day in Taipei, pledges to enhance ties

Taipei, Sept. 23 (CNA) Saudi Arabia's representative to Taiwan, Mohammed S. Alghamdi, said Tuesday that he is looking to continue strengthening bilateral relations, as his office celebrated his country's National Day.

At a reception in Taipei to mark Saudi Arabia's National Day, Alghamdi said the annual ceremony commemorates the unification of the Saudi kingdom 95 years ago.

Over the years, Riyadh and Taipei have built "a solid bridge of relations based on mutual cooperation and shared economic and cultural interests," said Alghamdi, head of the Saudi Arabian Trade Office in Taipei.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is now the largest supplier of energy to Taiwan, and its top trading partner in the Middle East and Africa, he said.

In May 2023, the Taiwan Trade Center, Riyadh, was inaugurated at the Riyadh International Convention and Exhibition Center, to further explore business and investment opportunities for both sides, Alghamdi said.

He said his office will continue to work with officials and the relevant authorities in Riyadh and Taipei to strengthen cultural, commercial, investment and tourism opportunities.

Meanwhile, Taiwan's Deputy Foreign Minister François Wu (吳志中) said at the reception that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia "stands as a symbol of tradition, culture, and prosperity in the region."

"Today, we mark the founding of a nation that has played a pivotal role in the Middle East and has made significant global contributions, especially with respect to energy, religion, trade, and technology," Wu said.

In 2024, Saudi Arabia was Taiwan's 17th-largest global trading partner and its top regional trading partner, with two-way trade reaching US$9.4 billion, according to Wu.

Saudi Arabia has also been "a reliable and vital energy supplier to Taiwan," accounting for nearly one-third of its crude oil imports, he said.

Taiwan is looking forward to deepening cooperation with Saudi Arabia in areas such as technology, trade, investment, education and tourism for the benefit of both nations, Wu said.

Saudi Arabia's National Day is celebrated annually on Sept. 23 to commemorate the renaming of the Kingdom of Nejd and Hejaz as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932 through a royal decree by King Abdulaziz ibn Saud.