"Prince Saud Al-Faisal, foreign minister, will hold wide-ranging political talks with his Italian counterpart Frattini, which will focus on a range of bilateral and regional issues," said Italian Ambassador Valentino Simonetti, here Sunday.

Simonetti, who held talks with Prince Mansour Bin Miteb, minister of municipal and rural affairs here on Saturday, said that the Italian mission will seek to establish long-term business relations with Saudi companies.

The Italian diplomat, while giving a preview of the Italian delegation, said that the Council of Saudi Chambers will hold a Saudi-Italian Business Forum on Nov. 7. The forum to be attended by representatives of a wide range of companies will be co-chaired by Minister of Commerce and Industry Abdullah Zainal Alireza and Italian minister Romani.

Several other meetings with private sector and Saudi government officials have also been planned in Riyadh, he added. A group of Italian businessmen will also visit Dammam, said the diplomat, while referring to a large number of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) represented in the business delegation.

Simonetti said that Italy ranked as the fifth among the largest exporters to the Kingdom, with a 4.86 percent market share, and eighth among importers, with a 2.05 percent share.