JUBA, May 20 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia will provide technical assistance to South Sudan's oil sector which is seeking recovery after more than five years of conflict, a senior official said on Monday.

Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth, South Sudan's minister of petroleum, said Juba will be assisted by Saudi Arabia in boosting the youngest nation's oil recovery efforts after he met last week in Riyadh with Khalid Al-Falih, Saudi Arabia's minister of energy, industry and mineral resources.

According to a statement issued in Juba, the two leaders discussed bilateral cooperation between the two ministries such as technical assistance in the drilling, enhancing of oil recovery, increase of oil production, resumption of oil production, capacity building programs for South Sudanese engineers and exploration and development of new blocks.

The minister said Riyadh pledged to support South Sudan's ministry of petroleum and its national petroleum company Nile Petroleum Corporation (Nilepet) in drilling and exploration activities.

The two countries also discussed the stability in the markets and how South Sudan as non-member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) could benefit from future support in the oil sector.