Riyadh: "Ekniti-BOI" attracts Saudi Arabian investment in the automotive, healthcare, and financial industries, while also promoting Thai investors to expand their businesses in Saudi Arabia. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Ekniti Nitithanpraphas, revealed that following his participation in the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos, Switzerland, he held discussions with He Khalid Al-Falih, Minister of Investment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (MISA), regarding cooperation in Thai-Saudi investment following the restoration of diplomatic relations and the creation of a two-way investment corridor mechanism. According to Thai News Agency, currently, Thai companies have expanded their businesses into Saudi Arabia. Fortune Parts Industry Public Company Limited is constructing a factory to produce electric vehicle (EV) parts; Sahafarm Company Limited is conducting a chicken processing business in collaboration with SALIC; and Sanden Intercool (Thailand) Public Company Limited is constru cting a factory to produce frozen food and beverage refrigerators in Saudi Arabia. Both sides hope to further develop their businesses in the following areas: automotive and auto parts, health, and Islamic finance. Saudi Arabia has expressed interest in learning from Thailand's experience in building an automotive supply chain to inform its planning for developing original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and is willing to support Thai auto parts manufacturers in establishing bases and creating automotive clusters in key areas of Saudi Arabia. In the health sector, Saudi Arabia has shown interest in establishing medical cooperation with Thailand, jointly developing skills, and collaborating on education and public health through the Saudi Development Fund. In Islamic finance, both sides agreed to develop joint tools and standards to facilitate cross-border investment and financial services. Furthermore, the Saudi government is preparing to host the World Economic Forum's Global Cooperation and Growth Confere nce in Jeddah in April 2026 and has invited Thailand to participate as an opportunity to expand business networks. In addition, the Board of Investment (BOI) opened an office in Riyadh in July 2024, marking its first overseas office in the Middle East. This office serves as a mechanism to connect Thai-Saudi Arabian investment and the Middle East region, and continues to drive cooperation with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Investment (MISA) through key activities such as the Saudi-Thailand Investment Forum, the signing of 11 industrial cooperation agreements, and business matching events.