RIYADH, 13 May 2007 — The establishment of Saudi-Danish Business Council is in progress, which is aimed at increasing trade and direct investments in the two countries, Danish Ambassador to the Kingdom Hans Klingenberg said recently
The non-profit business organization will also enhance cooperation among council members and foster communication and networking between Danish and Saudi Arabian companies, he added.
The Danish Ambassador said the Danish Business Council is currently working with the Council of the Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry on the plan.
Latest available data furnished to Arab News showed that Denmark’s exports to Saudi Arabia improved remarkably in the first two months of this year, surging by 33 percent to 327.5 million Danish kroner ($59.4 million) compared to 246.6 million Danish kroner ($44.8 million) recorded in the same period in 2006.
Saudi Arabia was Denmark’s 37th biggest export market in 2006 alone, representing 0.3 percent of the country’s exports.
In the period 2001-2005, exports to Saudi Arabia reached around 2 billion Danish kroner ($363 million).
Imports from the Kingdom in the cumulative period had quadrupled, jumping by more than 400 percent to 303.9 million Danish kroner.
Medical and pharmaceutical products come on top of the Saudi imports from Denmark at 366.26 million kroner in 2006, followed by miscellaneous food articles and dairy products at around 233.62 million kroner.
Moreover, the list of Saudi imports includes bird eggs, special machineries for miscellaneous industries, industrial machineries and other accessories.
The ambassador said “Saudi Arabia has a greater potential for economic growth than most markets.”
He noted that Denmark “believes in boosting economic growth by establishing strategic partnerships.”
He said Danish engineering and technical skills are active in Saudi Arabia’s desalination projects as well as in the King Abdullah Economic City development.
Klingeberg further said the business council in the making would also assist the Kingdom’s businessmen in exploring cooperation and partnership opportunities in cultural sector.
In another area, the Danish envoy also encouraged Saudis to choose Denmark as a destination for higher education.
He said the Danish government has relaxed the rules for issuing student visas to Denmark, aside from other positive policies that aim to attract foreign students.
“Foreign students who are enrolled at a post-secondary education in Denmark are no longer required to present documentation that they have enough money during their stay in Denmark,” he said.
He added that the teaching programs in many schools are in English.”
Klingenberg stressed that the Danish schools of business, in particular, are in the same league as other best schools in this field, with 3 leading Danish universities ranked among the top 200 universities in the world.
Almost 1,000 international exchange students are enrolled in the business programs in Denmark and collaborate with approximately 200 universities around the world, he pointed out.
On the issue of wearing hijab, the Danish ambassador told Arab News that the “Danish society enjoys a diversity of religions and permits religious practices other than the state religion.”