Good morning Mr. Ambassador Carlo Baldocci. You have been representing Italy in Saudi Arabia for three months. What surprised you about this country?
«I immediately felt a great energy. I would say on a daily basis, you can grasp the feeling of living in a country that wants to experiment and build with great enthusiasm. A country that is changing a lot, always respecting its tradition and culture.”
What are the main objectives of your mandate?
«Certainly to strengthen and consolidate political and economic relations between the two countries. Italy is the sixth nation for exports to Arabia, the second in Europe after Germany which is just ahead of us and we have a favorable trade balance. Another of the objectives is to strengthen cultural exchange by promoting various activities. This aspect is also facilitated by the great respect and admiration that Saudis have for Italian tradition and history.”
On average, how many Italians are present in Saudi Arabia during the year?
«On average there are around three thousand permanent residents, while there are 300-350 who are present on temporary visas. But I must say that the trend of the flow of business and tourism is on the rise.”
An advantage and a flaw in his work that increasingly attracts young law graduates, fascinated by the idea of a diplomatic career.
«The most positive aspect is that you serve the State and you can do it with different functions and in different places during the career you will experience. Let’s say that you need to have a certain flexibility that helps to deal with often unexpected situations. We must therefore always be willing to change and transform. It is also obvious that managing loved ones and family matters is more complicated given that one does not remain fixed in one place for long. The strengths and weaknesses interpenetrate, but the strengths are certainly greater.”
Based on the first contacts you have experienced in these almost first 100 days, what profile does the Arab businessman have and what are the differences, if any, compared to the European one?
«I can certainly say that the Saudi businessman first of all wants to get to know the person in front of him well also because he aims to consolidate a relationship based on trust and mutual respect. It is therefore normal that he is led to ensure that these two conditions are solid. In them, the importance of the handshake and the given word is very strong, which has its roots in Arab culture. The negotiation is then regulated by written agreements but trust cannot be lacking. In this they see great affinities with us Italians and in fact they have a strong empathy towards us. They feel a basic similarity in this sense.”
What are the economic relations and not only between Arabia and Italy?
«The relationships are very good. At the moment we can record an exchange of around 11 billion dollars per year. There is the will and the conditions to ensure that this number can grow thanks also to the push of Vision 2030.”
For some years, Saudi Arabia has promoted a series of operations to partially free itself, in the medium to long term, from the oil economy and open up abroad. The Vision 2030 operation also attracts and will attract international interests through sport. The World Cup will be held in 2034. How useful is sport for bringing together distances between peoples?
«I would answer that it is fundamental first and foremost for one reason: it helps to make people dream and discuss within shared rules that must be respected. And Saudi Arabia is obviously no exception.”
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
