Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM), Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has described the forthcoming Nigeria-Saudi Diaspora Investment and Tourism Exhibition Summit as a strategic platform to strengthen economic relations between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia by addressing investment misconceptions, tackling existing challenges and unlocking new opportunities.
Dabiri-Erewa made the remarks at a pre-event media conference held at the NiDCOM headquarters in Abuja ahead of the second edition of the summit, themed "The Misconceptions, Challenges, and Opportunities in Investing in Saudi Arabia and Nigeria Today."
Represented by the Commission's Secretary, Dr. Sule Yakubu Bassi, the NiDCOM boss recalled that the maiden edition of the exhibition in 2019 attracted more than 30 Saudi Arabian companies, describing the initiative as timely and capable of creating new opportunities for businesses, investors and other stakeholders in both countries.
She also commended the organisers, Al Yaro International Limited, for their sustained efforts in promoting investment opportunities and business visibility for individuals and companies in Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.
Also speaking, Hon. Abdulrahman Terab, Head of the Department of Technology Transfer, Innovation and Investment, said the exhibition was designed to provide participants with a deeper understanding of the investment climate in both countries while fostering meaningful business partnerships.
According to Terab, although Nigeria and Saudi Arabia have maintained long-standing diplomatic, cultural and socio-economic relations, there is a need to translate those ties into stronger economic cooperation.
He said participants would have opportunities to explore investment prospects in sectors including real estate, agriculture, technology transfer, trade and tourism, urging Nigerians and other stakeholders to participate actively in the summit.
One of the organisers, Muhammed Umar Yaro, announced that the exhibition would take place on August 4 and 5, 2026, at the Shehu Musa Yar'Adua Centre in Abuja.
Yaro said the summit aims to unlock investment opportunities and provide a platform for engagement between policymakers and key stakeholders on ways to deepen trade and business relations between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia.
He disclosed that the two-day event is expected to attract more than 100 exhibitors, 5,000 visitors and representatives from 20 investment sectors, with discussions focusing on energy, agriculture, real estate, tourism and manufacturing.
Yaro also expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Vice President Kashim Shettima and the NiDCOM Chairman for their continued support, expressing optimism that this year's edition would be more impactful than the inaugural event.