FPCCI seeks to open a chapter in Kingdom

In a renewed effort to boost bilateral trade and investment relations, Pakistan has made a proposal to open a chapter of the Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI) in Saudi Arabia.
The Kingdom and Pakistan, which are currently working on several joint business initiatives with an aim to strengthen commercial ties, also pledged here Monday to revive the defunct Saudi-Pakistani Business Council to promote more private sector interaction.
“The proposal to open the FPCCI chapter will be looked into by the two sides seriously,” said Fazal Kadir Khan Shrani, FPCCI president, in Riyadh yesterday.
Shrani, who is currently visiting the Kingdom with a Pakistani business delegation, was speaking during a reception organized by the Pakistan Investor Forum (PIF) at the local Marhaba Restaurant. The reception was attended by Khayyam Akbar, deputy head of Pakistani mission, Ziaullah Shamsh, chief of the commercial section at Pakistan embassy, and Tariq M. Soomro, PIF president.
A number of diplomats and top businessmen especially from the Pakistani community including newly appointed manager of Pakistan International Airlines Akbar Hussain Rajput were present. Other prominent businessmen included honorary investment counselor of Pakistan Khalid Chaudhury, Jaleel Hasan, Shamshad Ali Siddiqui, Abdul Hameed, Khalid M. Raja, Ghulam Safdar, Bashir Ahmed Chaudhury, Babar Ali Shah, Dr. Amjad Rana, and Razaur Rahman.
Referring to the proposal to open FPCCI chapter in Saudi Arabia, Shrani said: “The Saudi office would play an important role in promoting economic cooperation between Pakistan and the Kingdom and help achieve bilateral trade target as envisaged by the governments of the two countries.”
The FPCCI can play a more active role, if it will be represented by an office in the Kingdom, said the FPCCI chief, adding the federation has branches in China.
The FPCCI, which has been playing an active role in promoting trade and investment relations with foreign countries, has 48 Pakistani chambers of commerce under its umbrella besides other associations and business bodies, he explained. The FPCCI chief, while responding to a proposal by the PIF to establish a center to display Pakistani products, said the proposed FPCCI office once established can also be used as a Pakistani products’ exhibition center in the Kingdom.
Shrani pointed out that a meeting of the Saudi-Pakistani Business Council would be tentatively held in September this year in Islamabad. He said the first session of the business council was held in Riyadh in 2003 and the second session in Islamabad in February 2005. After that, no meeting was organized, he noted.