Samad Hassanzadeh, president of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines and Agriculture, called for the re-establishment of direct trade between Iran and Saudi Arabia during a visit to Mecca, saying current indirect exchanges should be replaced with formal bilateral channels.
Hassanzadeh made the remarks in a meeting on Wednesday with Saleh Kamel, president of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Development (ICCD) and head of the Federation of Saudi Chambers, on the sidelines of the 41st ICCD general assembly.
The two sides discussed the dispatch of trade delegations between the two countries and creating the groundwork for direct commercial exchanges.
Hassanzadeh said that Iran and Saudi Arabia currently conduct trade indirectly and urged that barriers be removed to allow direct transactions.
He highlighted Iran’s capabilities in the food industry, noting that Iranian products meeting international standards are exported to various global markets. He proposed that Iranian goods could be shipped to Dammam port as the nearest and most practical route for bilateral trade.
Kamel, for his part, welcomed the proposals and described the revival of direct commercial ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia as an important issue, saying he would raise the matter with senior Saudi officials for follow-up.