RIYADH, 27 August 2007 — Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, chairman of Kingdom Holding Company (KHC), and his wife visited Panama City, capital of the Republic of Panama, recently as part of his official visit to the region. In a press statement sent to Arab News yesterday, KHC said Alwaleed and his delegation held talks with President Martin Torrijos Espino and discussed bilateral relations between the two countries and investment opportunities in Panama. The delegation toured the historical Panama Canal, which is a major ship route connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans in which more than 14,000 ships pass through each year. The country is strategically located on the eastern end of the isthmus of Panama, a land bridge connecting North and South America. Panama’s economy is service-oriented, heavily weighted toward banking, commerce, tourism, trading and industry due to its key geographic location.