JEDDAH, 23 December 2004 — The French government has nominated Saudi businesswoman Maha Abdul Rahman Al-Sudairi as consultant at the Paris-based Arab-French Chamber of Commerce. This makes her the fourth Saudi woman to be appointed to a governmental position following Dr. Thoraya Obaid, executive director of UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN under-secretary general, Dr. Mona Al-Munajjed, supervisor of women and development program at the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), and Dr. Ibtissam Al-Bassam, academic adviser to the assistant director general of education at UNESCO.
Maha Al-Sudairi traveled yesterday to Paris to take her post where she will work at setting the plans and strategies for developing trade activities between France and the Arab countries. She said she plans to establish projects with joint Arab and French capital providing top-class Arab products in France and French products in the Arab markets.
“I think I was chosen because of the important contacts I established while I was studying in France and during the past 11 years in business. I will begin my work by developing trade relationships between France and Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries,” she was quoted as saying in Al-Watan Arabic newspaper.
Maha pointed out that she will work at establishing French language institutes as well as institutes in hospitality and arts in addition to introducing French pastry restaurants to the Saudi markets. In return, she will negotiate with Saudi investors to export their products to France and open Saudi restaurants there.
“I’m very pleased that Maha will be joining the Arab-French Chamber of Commerce in a few days. It is very important to have people from Saudi Arabia at the chamber. I’m satisfied for choosing her because she is a Saudi and a woman, that shows that Saudi women can have an important function inside and outside Saudi Arabia,” Christian Bodin, head of economic department at the French Embassy in Riyadh, told Arab News.
He pointed out that she is the second Saudi to be elected to the Arab-French Chamber of Commerce, the first being Dr. Saleh Al-Tayyar who was elected secretary-general a few months ago. “The chamber is concerned with trade relations between France and all Arab countries, but Saudi Arabia is one of the major countries among them and we want to strengthen links between French and Saudi companies and encourage more trade,” he said.
Among the most important French companies in Saudi Arabia are Caylon Banque, which owns 31 percent of the Banque Saudi-Fransi, and Danone. “Unfortunately, not a lot of Saudi companies are present in France but the most prominent investor in France is Prince Alwaleed ibn Talal. There are some Saudi citizens investing in real estate in the south of France but we would like to attract investors in small and medium companies for the transfer of technology... We would like to encourage French companies to invest in Saudi Arabia during the next few years and I’m sure Maha will assist in that,” he said.
Clara Gaymard, ambassador, special representative of France for international investment and president of Invest in France Agency (IFA), met with Maha when she was in Jeddah two weeks ago and exchanged views on investment ideas.
