Saudi Arabia ‘to provide Europe with cheaper energy via Greece’

Saudi Arabia’s de facto ruler announced on Tuesday that the kingdom will provide Europe with “much cheaper renewable energy” using a power cable that will link Riyadh with Greece.

Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman arrived in Greece on Tuesday on his first visit to a European Union member state since the gruesome 2018 killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul.

The prince described relations with Greece as historic. The two countries, he said, will finalise a series of bilateral projects during his visit, including linking electricity grids to “provide Greece and south-west Europe through Greece with… much cheaper renewable energy.”

READ: Greece, Saudi Arabia to sign energy deal, Crown Prince says

Bin Salman was accompanied by three ministers and a delegation of investors. He began his meetings in Athens with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the official Greek channel ART reported.

Greece described the visit as “high level”. It follows an official trip by Mitsotakis to Riyadh last October where he hoped to attract Saudi investments. The prime minister said that the prince’s visit is an “opportunity” to reaffirm the strength of bilateral strategic relations and sign some important agreements covering maritime transport, energy, defence technology, waste management and culture.

According to Greek diplomatic sources, the talks will also include a data transfer project between Saudi Arabia and Greece, “which will be transformed into a regional hub between Europe and Asia.”