Trade between Saudi Arabia and Japan has increased by 38% between 2016 and 2024 to reach SR138 billion (USD 36 billion), the Kingdom’s investment minister revealed.
Speaking at the Saudi-Japanese Ministerial Investment Forum 2026, Khalid Al-Falih explained that this makes the Asian country the Kingdom’s third-largest trading partner. The Gulf major has also firmly established itself as a very important partner for Japan from the viewpoint of the latter’s energy security, having been a stable supplier of crude oil for many years. Tokyo, for its part, has remained committed to supporting the Kingdom’s “Vision 2030” diversification agenda by sharing its industrial knowledge and advanced technologies.
“This trade is dominated by the Kingdom’s exports of energy products, specifically oil, gas, and their derivatives. We certainly look forward to the Saudi private sector increasing trade with Japan, particularly in high-tech Japanese products. As for investment, Japanese investment in the Kingdom is good and strong, but we look forward to raising the level of Japanese investment in the Kingdom. Today, the Kingdom offers promising opportunities for Japanese companies in several fields, including the traditional sector that links the two economies: energy,” Al-Falih said.
The minister went on to identify areas, including green and blue hydrogen, advanced industries, health, food security, innovation and entrepreneurship, where both the nations can form new chapters of collaboration.
During his speech, Al-Falih shed light on how the Kingdom’s pavilion at “Expo 2025” in Osaka achieved remarkable success, with the exhibition receiving more than three million visitors, reflecting the Japanese public’s interest in Saudi Arabia.
“The pavilion also organised approximately 700 new business events, several each day, including 88 major investment events led by the Ministry of Investment. Today, as we prepare for the upcoming Expo 2030, we look forward to building upon Japan’s achievements,” he said.
The minister further noted, “During our visit to Japan, we agreed to establish a partnership to transfer the remarkable Japanese experience from Expo Osaka 2025 to Expo Riyadh 2030. I am certain that the Japanese pavilion at Expo Riyadh will rival the Saudi pavilion at Expo Osaka in terms of organisation, innovation, and visitor turnout.”