JEDDAH, 21 December 2004 — Saudi-Swiss relations have always been good and they have remained so in the post-9/11 period. In fact, business ties between the two countries have been strengthening and students from this part of the world have been increasingly showing interest in Switzerland’s educational and professional programs, according to Swiss Consul General Urs Badertscher who is on transfer to France at the end of his four-and-a-half year term here.
“Saudi investments in Switzerland’s real estate and hospitality sector have been on the increase and so is the continuing flow of students to join language and professional courses in the country,” said Badertscher, for whom Swiss Ambassador Dominik M. Alder hosted a farewell reception at the consul general’s residence on Saturday night. Among those present were local officials, businessmen and Adrien Evequoz, the incoming consul general.
Switzerland, best known for its tourist destinations and hotel management schools, has been exploring the prospects of initiating new joint venture projects. “Aside from the forthcoming soft opening of a Swiss-based Movenpick-managed hotel in Jeddah, a hotel management school opened in Jeddah in September in collaboration with a Swiss school,” Badertscher told Arab News.
Switzerland’s boarding schools and summer camps have remained popular over the years. “Our capacity to absorb the increasing flow of Saudi and other overseas students is not the same as is with certain other countries. However, there is a big demand for admissions to university-level courses, especially those run by private universities where the knowledge of English is a requirement, as against public sector universities where courses are conducted in the French and German languages,” he said. A number of Saudi students have also been going there to take English language courses, especially during the vacation seasons.
“Most of the summer camps in the last season were booked out, mostly in the mountainous areas. Boarding schools usually accommodate visiting students during the vacation seasons,” he said.
In the last three years, bilateral trade has been steady, but in 2004 there will be a slight decline in Swiss exports to the Kingdom. “But we’re fully geared to reach this year the target of one million Swiss francs (SR3.3 billion) of Swiss exports,” he said, adding that Switzerland does not import oil directly from the Kingdom, but from the international spot market. “We import gold and jewelery from here, but that has come down a bit of late. So the trade balance is traditionally heavily in favor of Switzerland,” he said.
The Swiss community has a small presence in the Kingdom. They total 250 across the country, including about 100 in the Western Province, said Badertscher who came here from Hamburg, Germany. He served his country’s missions in Africa, East Asia and Europe earlier during his 35-year diplomatic career.
“My stay here has been both fascinating and interesting,” Badertscher said. “I’ve had lot of opportunities to meet people at all levels. I’ve had very many good contacts with the local authorities and business community,” he said.
“I’ll be missing the Red Sea and deserts and, of course, a large number of friends,” said Badertscher who enjoyed his favorite sport of snorkelling here.
