RIYADH, 14 November 2006 — Germany has stepped up its trade and investment promotion drive in the Kingdom’s water and energy, health, education and industrial sectors following the government’s decision to establish economic cities in different parts of the country. The German Saudi Arabian Liaison Office for Economic Affairs (GESALO) has announced that a delegation of German small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from the water sector has arrived here for talks on cooperation in the water sector which has been opened up to the private sector.
A spokesman from GESALO told Arab News that the delegation would visit various ministries, authorities and companies in Riyadh and Jeddah including the Jeddah Water & Power Forum. CEOs and representatives of SMEs specializing in the water and waste water management sector will hold meetings in the Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Riyadh and Jeddah. More than 80 Saudi companies are expected to participate in the event. The spokesman said GESALO was also hosting a German business delegation to the Kingdom from Nov. 17 to 23, with Ernst Pfister, minister of economic affairs of the federal state of Baden-Württemberg as the mission leader.
Besides official meetings in Riyadh, a visit to the Royal Commission of Jubail City is planned. The minister will be accompanied by CEOs and representatives from 15 German companies from a wide range of fields. They will meet executives of Saudi companies in order to investigate business and joint venture possibilities.
The delegates include manufacturers of industrial pumps and tools, extractor systems and outdoor furniture. Also represented are producers of health food and specialists in automation and networking systems, besides distributors of IT systems and software developers. More than 300 individual meetings have been lined up in Riyadh and Dammam, at which over 100 Saudi companies have announced their intention to participate.
For the first time, a “Catalog Show Saudi Arabia 2006” will be held on Dec. 10 in Jeddah and Dec. 17 in the Eastern Province, with over 300 participants expected on each occasion. The Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Jeddah and the Eastern Province will host the events.