The Saudi-U.S. Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Council held its periodic meeting on Tuesday, 21 July 2026, attended by H.E. Abdulaziz bin Omar Al-Sukran, Deputy Governor for International Relations at the General Authority of Foreign Trade and Head of the Saudi Delegation, and H.E. Bryant Trick, Assistant United States Trade Representative for Europe and the Middle East and Head of the U.S. Delegation. The meeting reviewed progress on the initiatives launched during the Council’s ninth meeting, held in Riyadh last January.

The meeting discussed 31 joint initiatives, including 17 proposed by the Saudi side and 14 by the U.S. side, spanning a range of sectors. These initiatives are designed to strengthen economic cooperation between the two countries by reviewing trade and investment policies and fostering technical dialogue among the relevant government entities.

The Saudi-U.S. Trade and Investment Council, chaired by GAFT, focuses on five key objectives: advancing trade and investment policies, facilitating trade and addressing technical and regulatory barriers, strengthening cooperation on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures and agricultural products, enhancing intellectual property protection, and promoting digital trade, innovation, and emerging technologies.

The meeting brought together representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources, the Ministry of Economy and Planning, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority, the Saudi Ports Authority (Mawani), the Saudi Standards, Metrology and Quality Organization (SASO), the Saudi Authority for Intellectual Property (SAIP), the Saudi Data and AI Authority (SDAIA), the Local Content and Government Procurement Authority (LCGPA), the Zakat, Tax and Customs Authority (ZATCA), the General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA), the National eLearning Center, the National Center for Traveler Security under the Presidency of State Security, and the National Center for the Prevention and Control of Plant Pests and Animal Diseases (Weqaa).

GAFT works to strengthen the Kingdom’s bilateral trade relations through coordination councils and joint governmental committees. It also seeks to expand market access for Saudi non-oil exports and support exporters by helping address the challenges they face in international markets.