The Saudi-Italian Business Forum, held in Milan on April 28, marked an important occasion for dialogue between the Italian business community and Saudi authorities. During the event, Barbara Cimmino, Vice President for Internationalization at Confindustria, highlighted the strategic role that Italian companies can play in the ongoing transformation taking place in Saudi Arabia.
“I see enormous potential for Italian companies to contribute to the evolving Saudi landscape. The Italian manufacturing ecosystem is one of the most diversified and innovation-driven in the world, and it has the potential to integrate effectively with Saudi growth policies,” said Cimmino. She also emphasized that the Saudi Vision 2030 strategic program is driving an unprecedented transformation, creating new opportunities in key sectors such as industry, technology, and infrastructure.
The Vice President further noted that there is still untapped potential for Italian exports to Saudi Arabia worth €829 million—equivalent to 17% of total exports in 2023 and 13% in 2024. Among the most promising sectors are machinery and some of Italy’s most renowned consumer goods, which alone represent around 40% of this potential.
A tangible sign of this positive trend comes from the stone industry, which in 2024 recorded a record-breaking year for Italian exports to Saudi Arabia. According to data from the Confindustria Marmomacchine Research Center, exports of natural stones, technologies, and related products to Riyadh surpassed the €100 million mark for the first time, reaching €118.6 million—up 45.5% compared to 2023.
Specifically, Saudi Arabia ranked as the fifth-largest destination market for both processed and semi-processed stone materials, with imports reaching €84.5 million (+37.2%), and for raw materials, with purchases totaling €10.8 million (+38%). Particularly notable was the sharp rise in exports of Italian stone technologies to the Gulf country, which grew by 92.6% in 2024, amounting to €23.3 million.
These figures confirm that the Saudi market today represents one of the most dynamic and promising frontiers for Made in Italy, within the broader context of Saudi Arabia’s far-reaching economic diversification strategy.
