Economic relations between Tunisia and Saudi Arabia are accelerating into a new phase, driven by rising Saudi investment, expanding trade, and high-level political commitments to long-term cooperation. The shift was spotlighted at the Tunisia–Saudi Arabia Business Forum held late December 2025.
Speaking at the event, Tunisia’s Minister of Economy and Planning, Samir Abdelhafidh, announced that Saudi Arabia has become one of Tunisia’s top ten foreign investors, with cumulative investments exceeding $375 million by the end of 2024. “These investments reflect growing confidence in Tunisia’s economic environment and its strategic role as a bridge between Africa and the Arab world,” he stated.
Saudi capital is now present across key sectors of the Tunisian economy, including industry, agriculture, healthcare, tourism, and services. Approximately 500 Saudi or Saudi-affiliated companies currently operate in Tunisia, with seven expanding their operations in the first nine months of 2025 alone.
Trade between the two nations is also strengthening. Official figures show bilateral trade reached 964 million Tunisian dinars by the end of 2024. Tunisia exported goods worth about 117 million dinars to the Saudi market—accounting for 26% of its total exports to the Gulf region—through 126 Tunisian companies.
Saudi Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar bin Ibrahim Al‑Khorayef described the forum as a “turning point,” emphasizing a shared goal to “convert economic potential into concrete, high-impact projects.” The renewed engagement forms part of Saudi Arabia’s broader strategy to diversify its overseas investments while supporting industrial development and job creation in partner nations.
TunisianMonitorOnline (BRC)
