JEDDAH, 1 May 2004 — The first five-day implementation meeting for a South Africa-Saudi Arabia Joint Economic Commission is scheduled to be held in Pretoria late May or early June, said Consul General Mohamed Dangor.
“The establishment of the JEC will tremendously strengthen relations and cooperation between the two countries in most fields,” Dangor told Arab News last week.
Dangor said the first ten years were spent on reconciliation, setting up institutions for government, and the transformation of parliament.
“The focus is now on reconstruction and development, and reducing poverty not only in South Africa but in Africa and the world,” he said.
The consul general said that South Africa and Saudi Arabia enjoy strong political relations, and the formation of the JEC would help widen the scope to investments, air transport, tourism, trade and business joint ventures. “Focused delegations will start visiting each other’s country,” he said, and added that South Africa supports the Kingdom’s accession to the World Trade Organization.
Adnaan Grimsel, consul economic, who was regional manager, Department of Trade and Industry in the Eastern Cape before assuming the present assignment, said a new deep water port, one of the deepest in Africa, is being built in Port Elizabeth, as well as a parallel free export zone where factories can be established.
