Twenty-one German companies exhibited their catalogs of products and services at a show organized by the German-Saudi Arabian Liaison Office for Economic Affairs (GESALO) in Riyadh last week.

German Ambassador Boris Ruge, leaders of business and industry, and a delegation from Rhineland-Palatinate attended the event.

Speaking on the occasion, the envoy underlined the increasing collaboration between German firms and their Saudi counterparts. The exhibition sponsors representing various sectors also delivered their short messages.

The sectors represented at the show included construction, engineering, fashion and lifestyle, communication, environment, chemical, infrastructure, industries, medical, petrochemical, recycling, security, water, waste, consulting and food products.

Andres Hergenroether, delegate of German industry and commerce for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Yemen, said: “The product portfolio of the 21 German exhibiting firms ranges from consumer goods, health care, waste treatment, automotive, industrial services and construction to engineering services.”

He said the catalog show was not just a presentation of German products and services but also a proof of the long lasting and sustainable business relations of Germany and Saudi Arabia. He noted that when GESALO was established in 1978, just a few companies were involved in business with Saudi Arabia.

“Today, more than 700 German companies of many different business sectors have been established in the Kingdom. The cooperation ranges from 100 percent German-owned branches over German-Saudi joint ventures to simple liaison offices and agency agreements,” he said. He added that the German economy is the world market leader in many industrial branches. In 2014, he said, German exports worldwide reached more than 1.1 trillion euros.

“The German economy was the second most important exporter worldwide. German exports to Saudi Arabia were nearly 9 billion euros in 2014, with the German economy remaining Saudi Arabia's most important supplier,” he said.