Silvio Schembri met with Saudi investors in Riyadh this week, on the fringes of an international conference focused on the global postal sector.

His trip to Saudi Arabia comes just as the Gulf country is lobbying to host the World Expo in 2030. Riyadh is competing against Rome and South Korea’s Seoul to host the event, and despite Malta’s long-standing ties with Italy, Malta Today reported this week that Malta is poised to back the Saudi bid.

The Economy Minister travelled to Saudi Arabia’s capital with his permanent secretary Ronald Mizzi. Malta’s resident ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Clive Aquilina Spagnol, accompanied them throughout the visit.

In a statement, his ministry said that Schembri held bilateral talks with “influential stakeholders and private investors” in Riyadh to explore “collaborative initiatives” between the two countries.

“Malta’s remarkable economic growth and Saudi Arabia’s progress in diversifying its economy and enacting transformative reforms were key points of discussion during these productive dialogues,” the ministry said. He also toured an exhibition showcasing several major projects under way in Saudi Arabia.

Schembri was in Riyadh to attend a high-level summit organised by the Universal Postal that brought together ministers, CEOs and postal sector leaders to discuss the future of the postal sector, which falls within the minister’s portfolio.

Representatives of the Malta Communications Authority, which regulates Malta’s postal sector, also attended the UPU summit.