JEDDAH, 15 February 2006 — The Dutch ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Nicolaas Beets, met Saudi officials and businessmen and explored opportunities for bilateral investments in areas in which the Netherlands traditionally holds strong expertise, such as infrastructure, construction, dredging, water management and agriculture.
“The visit is part of my visits in order to get to know the country and look at possibilities for greater cooperation between Holland and Saudi Arabia,” Beets said. In Jeddah, the ambassador met the city’s mayor, the chairman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the management of Bushnak Group, Xenel Industries and Abuljadayel. In addition, he visited King Abdul Aziz International Airport and Jeddah Islamic Port. In Riyadh, the ambassador was scheduled to visit the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority to see the model of the King Abdullah Economic City.
“We are interested in the planned new development at the airport and also in the rail bridge between east and west. Holland has expertise concerning high speed railways and Dutch companies were involved in infrastructure projects here in Jubail and also were involved in building the causeway between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain,” he said.
During his visit, the ambassador announced a trade mission from the Dutch water sector which will visit Saudi Arabia on May 16 and 17 this year. The water mission includes 10 companies and institutions which are a mixture of technology developers and manufacturers, knowledge institutes and consultancy agencies.
“The mission will focus on two things - water quality in terms of drinking water and waste water treatment, and water quantity, for example dredging, land reclamation and construction,” the ambassador explained. The Dutch group will seek to identify business opportunities and projects that may be developed in cooperation with Saudi partners. “The idea is to have a seminar, one in Riyadh and one in Jeddah, with private companies and government agencies representing both sides. We want to look at the challenges and opportunities available and to match Saudi companies with Dutch ones,” he said.
While in Jeddah, the ambassador also visited Effat College where he explored the possibility of exchange students.
Holland has a long history of involvement with Jeddah and the western coast of what is now Saudi Arabia. The ambassador pointed out that a Dutch consulate opened in Jeddah in 1872. More recently, the Saudi Hollandi Bank was opened in the Kingdom in the 1920’s. Currently, Saudi Arabia is the biggest Dutch export market in the Middle East with 1 billion euros of exports annually. Saudi exports, mostly mineral resources and petrochemicals, to the Netherlands amount to 3 billion euros. Holland ranks 12th in the list of the Kingdom’s top 15 trade partners.