"Saudi Arabia is a strong market for Germany. As head of GESALO, it's incumbent upon me to work for a long-term relationship in various sectors," said Andreas Hergenroether, a lawyer and the new delegate of German Industry & Commerce for Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

In this connection, he had been meeting with various Saudi businessmen, like last week during a reception at the Riyadh Marriott Hotel for the German architects' delegation which visited the Kingdom.

He said the areas in which GESALO is working on as far as the Kingdom is concerned include trade, technology transfer (in solar energy and waste water management), vocational training, investment, services, maintenance, among others, adding that Germany has been having good business ties with Saudi Arabia.

"German exports to the Kingdom last year touched one billion euros while its imports from Saudi Arabia totaled 900 million euros," Hergenroether said.

Various trade delegations have been lined up to visit Saudi Arabia until next year. On Sunday, a trade delegation representing eight industrial companies will visit Riyadh, and on Tuesday it will proceed to Jeddah.

The companies deal in various products such as high quality hoses, tubes, fittings and hose line production equipment; production of high precision parts in automotive, hydraulics and pneumatics; bottles for drinking water and carbonated drinks; industrial equipment and spare parts; design, production and service of high quality braking systems; among many others.

GESALO will also organize a Saudi delegation to visit Munich on Jan. 17-22 to attend the trade fair on engineering and architecture, where high-quality construction materials will be showcased. This event is held every three years.

On Jan. 22-24, a German petrochemical trade delegation representing 22 companies will visit Riyadh, Dammam and Jubail and on March 11-14, a delegation from the German metal industry will also visit the Kingdom.

Hergenroether said that as the new delegate of the German Industry and Commerce in the Kingdom, part of his job is to disseminate information on the German Chamber Network (AHK) in general.

"AHKs are the key players of German foreign business development on behalf of Germany. They represent German business interests and promote Germany as a business location," he said.

Before he was posted to Saudi Arabia, Hergenroether was the chief executive of the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Algeria.