Saudi Arabia has called on French companies to expand investment in the Kingdom, highlighting opportunities across energy, digital infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, logistics, financial services, gaming and tourism under Saudi Vision 2030.
The call was made during the French-Saudi Investment Roundtable Meeting held in Paris on Monday as part of Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud’s visit to France.
The meeting, organised by the Saudi Ministry of Investment, brought together senior officials, business leaders and CEOs from Saudi Arabia and France to discuss ways to translate sectoral cooperation into long-term investments.
Saudi Minister of Investment Fahad bin Abduljalil Al-Saif urged French companies to identify investment opportunities where their technologies, capabilities and capital could contribute to Saudi Arabia’s development, while calling on the Saudi side to present projects with strong potential, investment requirements and implementation pathways.
He said more than 750 companies had been attracted through the Regional Headquarters Program, including 39 French companies operating across eight sectors.
Al-Saif said the Kingdom’s approval of offshore financial activities would further strengthen Saudi Arabia’s position as a platform for companies seeking to manage their regional operations.
He also highlighted the gaming and esports sector, saying the Kingdom’s young and highly engaged market provided a strong foundation for developing Saudi intellectual property, producing content, creating specialised jobs and building companies capable of competing globally.
The minister said Saudi Arabia’s priority sectors were demonstrating resilience and providing international investors with stability and predictability. He identified energy, financial services, digital infrastructure, advanced manufacturing, transport and logistics, gaming and tourism as areas with substantial investment potential.
Cooperation in the energy sector remains an important component of Saudi-French relations, covering conventional oil and gas as well as petrochemicals. French companies are also involved in Saudi Arabia’s transition towards clean energy, creating opportunities for investment in renewable energy and related technologies.
French Minister of the Economy and Finance Roland Lescure said energy and logistics security were key pillars of the strategic partnership between Saudi Arabia and France.
He said Saudi Arabia had proven to be a reliable partner in supporting global energy market stability and described the Kingdom as a crucial link between the Middle East and Europe in energy and logistics.
Lescure also pointed to efforts to increase bilateral trade and highlighted the Public Investment Fund’s opening of an office in Paris as part of efforts to attract Saudi investment to France.
The investment roundtable comes amid expanding economic ties between the two countries. French investment stock in Saudi Arabia reached SAR63.9 billion in 2024, more than double its 2021 level, making France the Kingdom’s fourth-largest source of foreign direct investment.
Saudi Arabia has issued 651 investment licences to French companies across 18 sectors, while bilateral trade reached SAR44.2 billion in 2025.
Foreign direct investment inflows into Saudi Arabia reached approximately SAR23.9 billion in the first quarter of 2026, up 2.4% year on year.
