Namyangju City Makes First Visit to Taif City, Saudi Arabia... Signs MOU on Health and Economy

Signing of Memorandums of Understanding in 6 Areas Including Healthcare Cluster Cooperation
Includes Not Only Medical but Also Agriculture and Economic Fields
Foundation for Sustainable Exchange... Exploring Cooperation Possibilities in Agriculture, Livestock, and Industrial Sectors

Namyangju City, Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Joo Gwang-deok) announced on the 8th that it visited Taif City, Saudi Arabia, from the 2nd to the 7th.

Joo Gwang-deok, Mayor of Namyangju City (right), visited Taif City, Saudi Arabia, from the 2nd to the 7th and held a meeting with Prince Wood Binnahar. They signed a memorandum of understanding on six areas, including cooperation in the healthcare cluster. Photo by Namyangju City

This visit was made abruptly just three months after Sultan Abdulaziz Al-Sadoun, CEO of FCC Group and an exchange advisor for Namyangju City, arranged a video conference in July. A joint public-private delegation, including Lee Hong-gyun, chairman of the Gyeonggi Eastern Chamber of Commerce and Industry, participated in the schedule for economic exchange.

As the first agenda, the delegation visited the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Jeddah and held a meeting with Consul General Woo Hong-gu. At this meeting, Namyangju City discussed cooperation plans for friendly exchanges with Taif City, Saudi Arabia, and expressed gratitude for the Consulate General's support in expanding exchanges with the Middle East region.

On the following day, the 4th, the delegation introduced their respective cities and held a meeting to diversify exchange fields with Abdullah bin Khamis Al-Zaidi, Mayor of Taif, and senior officials.

At this meeting, Mayor Joo Gwang-deok of Namyangju City expressed sympathy for the ‘Taif 2030’ plan, which utilizes the geographical characteristic of being near the Islamic holy city of Mecca and the climatic characteristic of being famous as a summer capital with a pleasant climate, and proposed to meet in Namyangju City next year to further strengthen exchanges.

Namyangju Mayor Joo Gwang-deok is taking a commemorative photo with officials during his visit to Taif City, Saudi Arabia, from the 2nd to the 7th. Provided by Namyangju City

Next, the delegation visited King Faisal Hospital and King Abdul Aziz Specialist Hospital, major public medical institutions in Taif City. They listened to the operation status of home healthcare services and smart remote medical services for the disabled and mobility-impaired patients, and carefully examined the possibility of introducing a public medical center in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, scheduled to begin construction in 2030.

On the 5th, after holding a meeting with Prince Saud Binnahar, Governor of Taif, the delegation signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with related organizations on six areas including healthcare cluster cooperation. This MOU includes not only medical but also agricultural and economic fields, and is expected to serve as a foundation for sustainable exchanges in the future.

Namyangju City visited the Saudi Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to explore cooperation possibilities in agriculture and livestock industries. Thanks to its mild climate, the Taif region is an agricultural city capable of producing fruits and roses in the Middle East, and is promoting projects to build smart farms and expand poultry production.

Namyangju City plans to establish a foothold for economic and trade exchanges starting with this visit to Taif City, conducted together with the Gyeonggi Eastern Chamber of Commerce and Industry. It is expected that economic exchanges and trade discussions will become more active through cooperation between the two cities in the future.