RIYADH, 3 October 2007 — The German Saudi Arabian Liaison Office for Economic Affairs (GESALO), the official representative of German industry and commerce in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait and Yemen, has emerged as a major institution playing the role of catalyst to boost commercial relations between the Kingdom and Germany.
GESALO’s mission is to render all support and boost the bilateral economic ties between Germany and Saudi Arabia on the one hand and between Germany and other countries of the region on the other.
Gerd M. Doepner, GESALO delegate, said that the Kingdom and Germany have reported progressively growing economic relations in different sectors thanks to the efforts made by institutions like GESALO, which was founded in 1978.
Doepner pointed out here on the occasion of German Unity Day that GESALO is part of the network of the German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHK), the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (Deutscher Industrie und Handelskammertag, or DIHK) and the 80 bilateral German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (AHK) around the world. The organization has been working to boost commercial relations between the two countries by launching cooperation projects and disseminating information.
Germany is Saudi Arabia’s third-largest trading partner. In 2006, German exports to Saudi Arabia totaled 4.6 billion euros. “The Kingdom exported goods worth 1.6 billion euros to Germany,” said Doepner, adding that one of GESALO’s major aims is to familiarize German companies with business opportunities in the Kingdom.
“For that reason, GESALO is implementing a range of new projects in the coming months, which will introduce German companies without prior experience in the Kingdom to the Saudi market,” said GESALO chief. “Until December 2007, GESALO will organize German business delegations to the Kingdom in the fields of petrochemicals, health care, water and wastewater, environmental engineering and security, as well as an official delegation from the southern state of Baden-Württemberg,” he said.
This is in addition to delegations during the first nine months of 2007 covering the energy, renewable energy and technical services industries.
“For the first quarter of 2008, GESALO will host delegations for consulting engineers, ICT, food processing, construction and health care,” he said.
In this context, it is important to note that GESALO has the mandate to arrange visits, coordinate matchmaking events and enrich the experience of business delegations by on-site visits.
“We are convinced that German company representatives are attracted by the vast opportunities available in Saudi Arabia,” said Doepner. “They become more familiar with the region when GESALO organizes familiarization trips inside the Kingdom. This gives more insight to German companies into the businesses of Saudi Arabia besides its lifestyle and customs.”
With projects and field trips like this, GESALO is focusing on the sectors that are earmarked for substantial investment in the years to come and where German technology and engineering can offer leading-edge solutions and services. Besides delegations to the Kingdom, GESALO is also engaging in bringing Saudi companies to Germany and provide them with business contacts and firsthand information. A project of this kind is scheduled for the first quarter of 2008 in the field of engineering.
Another very important mission of GESALO is to promote German trade shows among Saudi companies looking for international contacts. Two-thirds of all international trade fairs take place in Germany.
“We assist Saudi businessmen to target the right trade fair, get tickets and visas, while ensuring to make convenient travel arrangements,” said the GESALO chief.
Some of the German trade shows are: CeBIT (the world’s No. 1 exhibition for IT and telecommunications), Domotex (international exhibition for floor coverings), Hannover Messe (the international trade fair for industrial solutions), Bau and Bauma (the international exhibitions for building materials and construction machinery in Munich), EMO (machinery tools, industrial automation), and ITMA (machinery for the carpet industry). Some trade fairs like CeBIT and Domotex are historically highly frequented by Saudi visitors and exhibitors.
“Still to come from Oct. 13-17 is Anuga fair (an international trade fair for the food industry in Cologne), which has been attracting a large number of Saudi visitors and exhibitors over the last years,” said Doepner, adding that GESALO also promotes Saudi trade shows.
The most popular exhibition in which German companies traditionally participate as exhibitors and visitors is the Saudi Build exhibition, an expo for the construction industry. “We expect around a dozen German companies to represent themselves in the German pavilion this October,” he said.
Furthermore, GESALO is active in the field of knowledge transfer. A recent example is the recent seminar organized by GESALO in cooperation with the German Energy Agency on renewable energy in Riyadh. A number of Saudi officials and experts participated in the seminar and were interested in the technology.
Last year GESALO successfully conducted the second German Arab Water Conference in Hannover in which the Kingdom was officially represented by the Ministry of Electricity and Water.
The conference served as a platform for the scientific exchange between experts from Arab countries and Germany. Doepner said that GESALO is very optimistic about the future of Saudi-German commercial ties. For a long time, German companies have been active in the Kingdom and engaged in many fields of cooperation with Saudi businesses.
“Against the background of oil boom, we are working to expand the business relations between the two countries,” he said. “Our aim is to boost the interest of German companies in the Kingdom and convince them that this country is a very attractive market. Whenever we meet German companies, we do our best to convey a realistic picture of the Kingdom. People simply do not have or do not get enough information about the true life and business in Saudi Arabia. We think that the Kingdom deserves a lot more interest and attention.”
He called on people to contact the GESALO office for any information. Mark Potstada, deputy delegate of German Industry and Commerce, can be contacted on [email protected] for more information about GESALO’s services.