JEDDAH, 12 January 2004 — The Saudi-German Joint Commission on Economic and Technical Cooperation will hold its 15th session in Berlin within six months, said Dr. Bernd Jackel of the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Labor.
“We expect the Berlin meeting to address the issue of double taxation, and promote new cooperative and joint venture projects,” said Dr. Jackel, who is part of a 30-member economic delegation of the German Near and Middle East Business Association (NuMOV). The delegation is headed by Dr. Markus Neumann of Detecon Life Science (Deutsche Telekom).
Dr. Jackel, who addressed a workshop on economic relations between the two countries at the auditorium of Saudi German Hospitals Group here, said German companies were well aware of the potential growth of the Kingdom’s health care sector.
The Saudi German Business Group is hosting the two-day workshop. Khaled Al-Juffali is the group chairman and its members include businessman Amr Khashoggi, Arab News Editor in Chief Khaled Al-Maeena and Ali Alireza of the Haji Hussein Alireza Co. The German members include Consul General Dr. Stephan Keller.
In his presentation, Sobhi A. Batterjee, president and CEO of the Saudi German Hospitals Group, said: “We have established four hospitals in the Kingdom and are opening one hospital with 300 beds each year. We’ll plan to set up 15 hospitals in the region by 2015, 12 January 2004 — in Sanaa, Addis Ababa, Cairo, Dubai and Pakistan. Some 50,000 jobs will be created.”
Muhammad Mufti, CEO of the Security Forces Hospitals and senior consultant at Mashura Health Care Consulting in Riyadh, explained the Kingdom’s plans to privatize the Ministry of Health hospitals.
Referring to the Kingdom’s economic reforms including steps to open up the market and strengthen the private sector, Dr. Jackel said: “The new investment law, in force since June 2002, and the establishment of a one-stop central investment agency are all welcome as such steps will lead to overseas investment.
“We also note the Kingdom’s increased efforts to join the WTO by the end of 2004, which implies full modernization of the Kingdom’s foreign trade regime. Visits of this type demonstrate the importance attached by both governments and business communities to a mutual dialogue which will foster greater cooperation in all fields.”
