Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) -- The Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Saudi Arabia Ulugbek Maksudov completed his diplomatic mission and is returning to his homeland, Dunyo news agency reports.

Ulugbek Maksudov has served as Ambassador of Uzbekistan in Jeddah since May 2018.

At farewell meetings with officials of the kingdom, it was noted that in recent years, Uzbek-Saudi relations have intensified significantly.

On 17-18 August 2022, the historic state visit of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to Saudi Arabia took place. Then, on 19 July 2023, the head of our state made a working visit to the kingdom to participate in the first ever Summit of Central Asian countries and members of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf in the city of Jeddah.

As part of this process, three meetings of the Uzbek-Saudi Intergovernmental Commission were held on various areas of cooperation.

Three rounds of political consultations were also organized between the foreign ministries of the two countries. Currently, preparations are underway for the Second Meeting of Foreign Ministers in Tashkent, and it is planned to hold the Summit of Heads of State of the Strategic Dialogue “Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf - Central Asia” in 2025.

The total volume of Saudi Arabia’s investments in the economy of Uzbekistan exceeds US$30 billion. Saudi business is expected to actively participate in the upcoming Third Tashkent International Investment Forum, which will be held from 2 to 3 May.

Ulugbek Maksudov also served as the permanent representative of Uzbekistan to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, whose headquarters are located in the city of Jeddah.