JEDDAH, 30 April — The newly appointed Ethiopian ambassador to the Kingdom, Mahdi Ahmad Gadid, has stated that a mutual lack of information separates the people of the two countries and is behind the slow progress in developing bilateral relations, especially economic ties.
His top priority, Gadid added, is the acceleration of bilateral cooperation through the encouragement of trade and tourism, especially by promoting Ethiopia as an alternative destination for Saudis and citizens of other Gulf countries.
Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia enjoy traditional relations that go back to the early days of Islam, when the first Muslims fleeing persecution in Makkah sought refuge in Abyssinia (Ethiopia’s former name).
“However, there is now an information gap that has to be bridged. Our strategy is to provide information that reflects the true image of the country. This is vital for the development of business opportunities. I am confident once this information is disseminated to the Saudi business community we will see greater investment,” Gadid told Arab News during a visit to Jeddah.
He said that his government hopes to see the lifting of an 18-month ban on the import of livestock from Ethiopia, imposed by the Saudi authorities following the outbreak of the Rift Valley Fever in the southern areas of the Kingdom. Ethiopia is also seeking to increase its exports of agricultural products including coffee, sesame and other organic products.
With a population of 65 million, Ethiopia could serve as a huge consumer market for Saudi products. There are at present around 30 investment projects by Saudi businessmen in Ethiopia, worth millions of dollars. The ambassador said his country wants to see Saudi businessmen benefit from the preferential treatment accorded to it by the United States, the European Union and many African countries. Ethiopia also has a highly trained, cheap and disciplined workforce.
“Our country enjoys special treatment with many African states as well as with the United States and European countries. Saudi businessmen can benefit from this leverage and use Ethiopia as a launch pad for their products into regional and world markets.”
The ambassador added that in view of the fallout from the Sept. 11 attacks, and especially the reluctance by many Arabs to travel to Western countries, Ethiopia could offer a convenient alternative to Saudi and Gulf tourists.
“Its attractions include its close proximity and its wonderful weather throughout the year. The country is also pollution-free and rich in natural resources, including hot springs and rare wildlife.”
On his country’s strained relations with Eritrea, Gadid said a recent international court ruling has given Ethiopia all the disputed areas along the border. He expects the 1,000-km long border to be fully demarcated within six months. However, he added that relations with Eritrea would not return to normalcy unless Asmara pays compensation sought by Addis Ababa over the border war, which the Ethiopian government says was launched by Eritrea.
He also said that his country is actively engaged in finding solutions to the crisis in Somalia and the prolonged civil war in Sudan. He denied that Ethiopia was supporting any particular side in the Somalia conflict.
