RIYADH: A high-ranking French official has told Arab News that relations between his country and Saudi Arabia have never been so close.
Olivier Cadic, senator for French citizens abroad, vice president of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Armed Forces, and president of the France–Gulf States Interparliamentary Friendship Group, made the comments on Sunday.
He was visiting the Kingdom at the head of a French parliamentary delegation that included senators Nathalie Delattre and Remy Pointereau. Following his meetings with Saudi officials, Cadic reflected on the Kingdom’s transformation, the state of Franco-Saudi relations and the prospects for cooperation between the two countries.
He said Saudi Arabia was among the fastest-transforming countries in the world. “This is my ninth visit to Saudi Arabia in 11 years. What strikes me on every trip is the speed of the country’s transformation,” he told Arab News en francais.
The senator especially highlighted the changes he had observed in the capital city, where development projects are multiplying under Vision 2030. According to Cadic, this modernization strategy “infuses an accelerated spirit of modernity” and reflects a clear ambition for economic diversification, innovation and openness to the world.
