On 28 - 30 April 2026, Mrs. Salinee Phonprapai, Deputy Director-General of the Department of International Economic Affairs, led the Thai delegation at the 3rd round of negotiations on the Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) between Thailand and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which was hosted by Thailand. Mr. Fahd Alsofyani, Senior Agreement Manager at the Ministry of Investment of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, participated as the Saudi negotiator.

The negotiations this time around were focused on addressing key outstanding issues to advance the finalization of the BIT between Thailand and Saudi Arabia. Comprehensively, the negotiations have aimed to establish a clear, transparent and business-friendly framework for bilateral engagement to ensure that the BIT works to help build investor confidence and encourage two-way investment by protecting Thai private sector investments in Saudi Arabia and Saudi private sector investments in Thailand. Saudi Arabia is an important economic partner of Thailand in the Middle East and these negotiations underlined the Ministry's proactive role in advancing economic diplomacy by promoting a favorable environment for international investment.