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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in partnering with the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on security, economic growth, green city development and other areas of mutual benefit.
The Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Nigeria, Yousef bin Mohammed Al-Balawi, made the appeal yesterday during a visit to the FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, in Abuja.
Al-Balawi commended Wike and the administration of President Bola Tinubu for what he described as the transformation of Abuja into a “beautiful green city.”
He said he looked forward to deepening relations with the FCT administration and sharing experiences on green city development.
The envoy also stressed the need to strengthen ties between the FCT and Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, as well as other major cities in the kingdom.
Responding, Wike said Nigeria and Saudi Arabia already enjoy a strong relationship, adding that the FCT would take advantage of the partnership for the benefit of the territory.
“We will be happy and willing to visit Riyadh and other cities in Saudi Arabia to find areas of common interest and collaborate for mutual benefits.
“Saudi Arabia is a very important state in the Gulf region with a very rich history and robust relationship with Nigeria.
“We will want to capitalise on the good relationship with Nigeria to see how Riyadh and FCT will cooperate and learn from each other,” he said.
The minister commended Al-Balawi for his praise of the ongoing transformation in the FCT, attributing the progress to Tinubu’s political will.
He said the Tinubu administration had transformed the FCT into a modern city capable of competing globally.
“We have not got to where we want to be yet, but the Tinubu administration is committed and has what it takes to take the capital city to the global stage,” he said.
