President Dr Patrick Herminie received the Letters of Credence of H.E. Mr. Saad Abdullah Alnofaia, Ambassador-designate of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the Republic of Seychelles, during an accreditation ceremony held this morning at State House.

Following the ceremony, President Herminie and Ambassador Alnofaia held discussions on the bilateral relations between Seychelles and Saudi Arabia, reaffirming the long-standing friendship between the two countries and their shared interest in further strengthening co-operation.

The discussions covered a wide range of areas of mutual interest, with particular emphasis on tourism, investment, trade, energy and development co-operation. President Herminie highlighted the opportunities for increased Saudi investment in Seychelles and encouraged greater engagement between investors and businesses from both countries.

Tourism was identified as an important area for further co-operation, with discussions focusing on opportunities to increase the number of Saudi visitors to Seychelles and strengthen tourism exchanges between the two countries. The President also highlighted the potential for enhanced connectivity to support tourism, business and people-to-people exchanges.

President Herminie expressed appreciation for the continued support provided by the Saudi Fund for Development towards Seychelles' development priorities. The two sides also discussed ongoing bilateral agreements and the importance of advancing these instruments to create greater opportunities for co-operation.

Ambassador Alnofaia reaffirmed Saudi Arabia's commitment to strengthening relations with Seychelles and expressed his readiness to work closely with the Seychellois authorities during his tenure to advance areas of mutual interest.

Ambassador Alnofaia will be based at the Embassy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Nairobi, Kenya, which will serve as his office, from where he will also be accredited to the Republic of Seychelles.

President Herminie wished Ambassador Alnofaia success in his diplomatic mission and expressed confidence that his tenure would contribute to further deepening the friendship and co-operation between Seychelles and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.