Taiwan delegation seeks to boost ties with KSA

A Taiwanese delegation comprising 24 companies from different sectors participated in a trade fair on Saturday in Jeddah in the presence of 300 Saudi businessmen.
Wu. Ching-Chuan, the director general of Taipei Economic and cultural office in Jeddah, told Arab News that the main aim behind organizing this event was to strengthen bilateral ties between Saudi Arabia and Taiwan.
“Taiwanese products are of high quality and innovation,” the director general asserted. “We have state-of-the-art green tech products like solar panels, which meet the Saudi government’s demand. We are especially keen on strengthening business relations in this field,” he added.
He further said that the halal food market is a niche market that Taiwanese businessmen are looking forward to introducing in Taiwan.
Ching-Chuan said the turnout of the delegation meeting was a success and expected greater attendance in the coming years, which will serve to fortify ties between the two countries.
“The Kingdom is Taiwan’s most important market in the Middle East and Northern Africa, with trade volume between the two countries reaching $21.1 billion. The Kingdom is Taiwan’s 5th largest import market, and ranks 21st in terms of exports. Therefore, there is great potential for us to explore this market,” he explained. The delegates showcased a wide variety of products at the fair including power and electrical machinery, hardware and building materials, auto parts and accessories, household appliances, medical and health products, agricultural products, and chemicals materials.
“Jeddah is a commercial market, with many thriving business opportunities that need to be explored further in one-on-one meetings with our Saudi counterparts to enhance economic, investment and business opportunities,” said Terry Chen, the Commercial Section officer at the Taiwanese Consulate.
Chen added that trade volume increased 7.2 percent in 2012 and is expected to grow further in the near future.
“We will work to enhance cooperation next year and bring more companies and trade delegations. This year, only 24 companies participated, but we aim to have 40 companies join in the upcoming fair,” he concluded.