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RIYADH: The Kazakhstan Embassy in Riyadh hosted an event on Tuesday night to mark the country’s 35th Republic Day. 

The celebration was attended by top officials and diplomats, including Faisal Al-Sudairy, undersecretary of the Riyadh region, who represented Riyadh Gov. Prince Faisal bin Bandar. 

Kazakh Ambassador to ����ֱ�� Madiyar Menilbekov said in his opening remarks that bilateral relations have grown across all sectors.

He said the increasing number of state visits between the two nations reflects a strong commitment to further develop ties. 

Kazakhstan, the largest economy in Central Asia, serves as a regional hub for trade and investment.

“Our economy grew by 6.2 percent in the first half of this year,” Menilbekov said, citing strong performance in transport, construction, and mining. 

From January to August, Kazakhstan’s foreign trade totaled $90 billion, with $50 billion in exports and $40 billion in imports.

Menilbekov emphasized the government’s focus on economic diversification and industrial growth, including in metallurgy, renewable energy, utility upgrades, and agriculture. 

Priority areas include rare metals and emerging technologies, petrochemicals, automated manufacturing, railway engineering, and fertilizer production.

“Our strategic goal is to double the size of the national economy to $450 billion by 2029,” the envoy added.

To underscore the importance of bilateral ties, the ambassador noted that Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev attended the One Water Summit in Riyadh last year and met with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. 

“During the meeting, bilateral relations between our countries were discussed, along with ways to enhance and expand them across various fields.” 

Menilbekov praised ����ֱ��’s environmental initiatives, expressed excitement for Expo 2030, and congratulated the Green Falcons and their supporters on qualifying for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In April, Shoura Council Speaker Sheikh Abdullah Al-Asheikh held talks in Riyadh with Kazakhstan Senate Chairman Maulen Ashimbayev, to discuss parliamentary cooperation, and regional and international issues. 

����ֱ�� and Kazakhstan signed a memorandum of understanding in April to boost cooperation in combating cross-border corruption, including enhanced information sharing and stronger institutional capacity for both nations.

In May, Minister of Interior Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Naif met with Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee Chairman Yermek Sagimbayev, with the officials reaffirming their commitment to enhanced security cooperation.

Also in May, the King Abdulaziz Foundation for Research and Archives signed a cooperation agreement with Kazakhstan’s National Archives to exchange expertise, preserve national memory, and promote joint scientific studies.

RIYADH: A deal aiming to advance the localization of ����ֱ��’s automotive sector and strengthen collaboration between the industry and educational institutions was signed on Tuesday.

The memorandum of understanding between the National Automotive and Vehicles Academy and the Prince Mohammed bin Salman College for Business and Entrepreneurship was signed at the EV Auto Show in Riyadh, which has Arab News as a media partner.

It was signed by Mohammed Al-Suhaim, managing director of NAVA, and Zeger Degraeve, executive dean of MBSC.

The MoU aims to develop national talent and equip future Saudi leaders with the skills needed to drive industrial transformation and technological innovation in the automotive sector.

Al-Suhaim said in a statement that NAVA’s “mission is to prepare qualified talents capable of driving economic growth in line with the Kingdom’s industrial goals.

“This partnership with MBSC represents a key step in building skilled national cadres who can contribute to ����ֱ��’s industrial transformation.”

Degraeve described the partnership as a natural alignment between technical training and leadership education.

“Working with NAVA allows us to develop leadership capabilities within teams that are driving innovation in the automotive industry,” he told Arab News.

He noted that ����ֱ��’s automotive sector is at the forefront of technological change, particularly in electric vehicles and sustainable mobility.

“As the sector evolves, we see strong alignment between advanced vehicle technologies and our mission to foster sustainable leadership and organizational development,” Degraeve added.

Under the MoU, both institutions will collaborate on designing leadership and technical programs.

The partnership also includes research initiatives focused on modern automotive technologies, as well as social responsibility projects to raise community awareness about innovation and entrepreneurship in transportation.

The partnership will remain in effect until the end of 2028, establishing a long-term framework for cooperation in education, research, and industrial innovation.