JEDDAH, 12 December 2006 — Saudi Arabia with its strong economy can offer its booming market for countries like India that excel in technologies and services, a top executive of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry said here on Saturday night.
“The Kingdom has billions of dollars of infrastructure projects that can be taken advantage of by India with its technological and service prowess,” JCCI Vice Chairman Mazen Batterjee said at the meeting organized by Saudi-Indian Business Network in association with the Consulate General of India at the Hotel Trident. Mazen, who recently met India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and other government officials during his recent visit to New Delhi, spoke about the optimism and confidence expressed by Indians in participating in the various developmental projects of the Kingdom. “The world is undergoing a change and the Kingdom is looking for new partners for its development and India could play a major role,” Batterjee added.
Dr. Hashim Mohammed Ali Hussain, academician and chairman of Tawak Ul Najah Est., referred to the strong historic and cultural bonds between the two countries and said India offered the best pluralistic and multicultural society in the world. Rajeev Shahare, deputy chief of the mission at the Embassy of India, traced the historical links and outlined the various initiatives the Indian government had taken to promote the business relationship. Earlier on Friday, Shahare was introduced to several community leaders at a reception hosted by Consul General Ausaf Sayeed.