THE Republic of the Philippines and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have reaffirmed their commitment to advance their bilateral cooperation at the conclusion of their fifth Joint Commission Meeting in Manila.
Aside from trade, investment, labor and health services, other possible areas of cooperation discussed by both sides are in security, trade and investments, agriculture, energy, finance, education, cultural, tourism, youth and sports, technical training and technology.
Among the bilateral agreements discussed were the deployment of workers of general category and household workers, as well as the memoranda of understanding in the fields of agriculture, sports, media, Islamic affairs and development cooperation.
Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Policy Enrique A. Manalo and Vice Labor Minister Abdullah Nasser Abouthnain led the Philippine and Saudi delegations, respectively.
Relations between the Philippines and Saudi Arabia span 49 years and remain vibrant, with total trade last year pegged at around $1.25 billion. Saudi Arabia also hosts close to a million Filipino workers.