JEDDAH, 10 April — The 12th German-Saudi Businessmen’s dialogue ended here yesterday with various proposals to boost cooperation between the two sides.
The annual meet was headed by Finance Minister Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf and German Economy and Technology Minster Werner Mueller. A 65-member delegation from Germany, which included representatives of small- and medium-sized enterprises, was present.
In his opening speech, Dr. Werner Mueller spoke of his government’s misgivings about Israel’s attacks on the Palestinians — surprising for someone who has shown little interest in international politics to date and who is not a member of any political party.
Four workshops were held as a private sector initiative, giving participants the chance to exchange views, ask questions and make recommendations. The workshops were held on petrochemicals, chemicals and the environment, medical equipment and hospital management, and services and tourism.
Their final statements were submitted on the last day of the dialogue.
The German delegates showed little interest in the first workshop, with low participation, but did turn up to one on alternative energy (solar windmills), and alternative commodities such as iron ore.
Both sides voiced concerns regarding taxes and customs duties, and recommended classifications of sectors or products to which new custom tariffs are applicable. The second workshop recommended legislative measures to encourage financial support for environment-friendly industries and enact liability laws.
