Alexander Novak

Russia is working closely with Saudi Arabia to facilitate bilateral investment in the energy sector and Russian companies are interested in the kingdom’s planned new NEOM business zone, energy minister Alexander Novak said. Novak, who was at an investment event in Riyadh held by the two oil producers, said Russian companies were looking at various Saudi sectors such as solar, healthcare, education, artificial intelligence and port infrastructure, according to the Russian energy ministry’s Twitter account. He said that Moscow was working with the Saudi energy ministry to encourage Russian investment in the kingdom’s energy sector and vice versa, without giving details. The RDIF and Saudi Arabia’s main sovereign wealth fund PIF have already invested $1 billion in nine joint projects, according to Russia’s energy ministry. “Cooperation on the ‘peaceful atom’ could be key”, Novak is quoted as saying, referring to nuclear energy. Saudi Arabia plans to award a construction contract for its first two nuclear reactors in 2018.