RIYADH, 12 June 2006 — The visit of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to Saudi Arabia on May 7-10 spoke volumes as far as her leadership of the country was concerned.
“President Arroyo’s visit focused on three Os: Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and oil,” said Gilberto B. Asuque, spokesman of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
Most of what Arroyo requested during her audience with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah were granted. Only a few hours after her plane landed in Manila, 188 OFWs arrived in another plane. Since then, more OFWs in different jails have been repatriated.
On her request that the Saudi business community begin direct investments in southern Philippines, King Abdullah said that he would relay it to Saudi investors.
Arroyo arrived at the Riyadh airbase on May 7 and was welcomed by King Abdullah, Crown Prince Sultan, Riyadh Governor Prince Salman, Riyadh Mayor Dr. Abdulaziz ibn Mohammad ibn Ayaf Al Megren, and Social Affairs Minister Dr. Abdulmohsen Al-Akkas.
Arroyo’s delegation included Foreign Secretary Alberto G. Romulo, Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas, Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila, Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, Lanao del Norte Representative Abdullah Dimaporo, Lanao del Sur Representatives Binasing Macarambon Jr. and Cirilo Badeles, Ambassador-designate to Saudi Arabia Antonio P. Villamor, Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Sergio Luis-Ortiz Jr., and PCCI President Donald Dee, among others.
King Abdullah hosted a state banquet in honor of the Philippine president at the Al- Yamamah Palace after which the two leaders held bilateral talks, discussing, among others, the progress of peace talks with secessionist groups in Mindanao and the Philippine bid for observer status in the OIC. Arroyo conveyed to King Abdullah the Philippines’ deepest appreciation for the Kingdom’s unwavering support for peace and development in southern Philippines.
Crown Prince Sultan too held a banquet in honor of Arroyo, during which the two agreed to include security cooperation to the many facets of Philippine-Saudi ties.
Arroyo also called on Prince Salman and thanked him for the consideration that he has shown to OFWs in the Riyadh region and for the mass repatriation of OFWs in January this year. The president and her delegation later met with Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) Gov. Amr Al-Dabbagh and watched the exhibit featuring the King Abdullah Economic City. In her meetings with the SAGIA and later with the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry (CSCCI), Arroyo congratulated the Kingdom on its accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) in December last year and expressed the Philippines’ intention to increase the bilateral trade between the two countries and the export of Philippine products such as furniture and furnishings.
Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, chairman of the Kingdom Holding Company, also met Arroyo to discuss potential business opportunities in the Philippines specifically in the field of tourism.
The Philippine delegation met with the Filipino community at the Philippine Embassy.
In her speech before some 1,500 OFWs and their families, Arroyo talked about her meetings with King Abdullah and expressed her pride over the work ethics of OFWs and the major role that they have played in the economic and infrastructure development of the Kingdom. During the meeting with the Filipino community, Arroyo also launched the airing of the Nation Broadcasting Network in Saudi Arabia.
On May 9, Arroyo and her delegation left Riyadh for the Western Province and met with Jeddah Governor Prince Mishal, before proceeding to the Le Meridien hotel to meet with OFWs.
Later in her speech before the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Arroyo announced the Philippines’ intention to export more products to the Kingdom such as garments, fresh and processed food, marine products, tropical fruits and consumer manufacture. She noted that despite the hikes in the oil prices, the Philippine economic growth has been steady due to the effective management of the fiscal deficit resulting in the Philippine peso and Philippine Stock Exchange outperforming most Asian currencies and markets.
Arroyo enumerated the fields of energy, tourism, information technology, agriculture, banking and finance as viable areas for Saudi investments.
