RIYADH: Banque Saudi Fransi sponsored the Saudi-French Business Opportunities Forum at its second meeting in Riyadh.

Senior officials and businessmen of the two countries took part in the two-day event.

The forum’s activities began on the first with the display of four Saudi-French documentaries, followed by a speech by French Prime Minister Manuel Valls, reviewing the cooperation between the two countries, and highlighting ways of strengthening these relations.

During the second day, the forum witnessed 5 main workshops, accompanied by a number of interviews, and a discussion panel.

The most prominent speakers at the forum was Trade and Industry Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, and Planning Minister Adel Faqih.

From the French side, the speakers were Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius and the heads of economic institutions and French companies, political and cultural figures.

Julian Maze, chief financial officer of Banque Saudi Fransi, spoke at the first preliminary session. It was entitled “promoting sustainable economic growth”.

He highlighted the history of the bank, which represents the Saudi-French economic partnership since 1948, stressing the bank’s ability to continue and to strengthen its financial position and keenness to support the national economy in the coming years.

He also spoke about the bank’s several awards from ‘The Banker Middle East’ magazine— the most famous in the financial and banking sector in the region. As part of the magazine’s annual competition, it won the Best Bank Award in Saudi Arabia for 2015.

The first Saudi-French Business Opportunities Forum was successfully held in Paris in April 2013.

It was organized by the Saudi Ministry of Commerce and Industry in collaboration with the French Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Council of Saudi Chambers and the Saudi-French Business Council.