JEDDAH, 12 June 2007 — A Japanese trade delegation held a meeting at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce yesterday on exploring the prospects for water projects in particular and expansion of trade in general.
The delegation’s visit, organized by Japan Cooperation Center for the Middle East (JCCME), preceded a tour of Japan by businessmen from the JCCI next month.
“The essential purpose of the mission is to study and research market conditions for potential business opportunities between the two countries,” Yutaka Kono, leader of the 15-member delegation and representative director and president of Tokyo-based Japan Nus Co. Ltd., said.
Kono recalled the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on April 28 this year to the Kingdom and his meeting with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan. “This has proved to be the main driving force for strengthening partnership between the two countries,” Kono said.
The visit is also part of the decision taken by the two countries to establish a specialized joint task force in collaboration with the private sector to facilitate investment and availability of resources in the two countries. “We are confident that this business meeting will become a catalyst for developing new opportunities between the Kingdom and Japan,” Kono added. The visiting team focused on JCCME’s “Japan Water Desk” established in 2005 to promote investment and technology transfer related to water resources from Japan to Saudi Arabia.
The JWD concentrates its efforts on providing Saudi companies with information on water resource-related products and technologies of Japanese companies. “The JWD is committed to dealing with all aspects of water resources, such as desalination, transmission and distribution, wastewater treatment and water re-use,” a spokesman for JWD said, adding that it also addresses environmental issues related to water resources.
A JCCI member highlighted the urgent need for boosting water resources across the Kingdom for residents, industry and agricultural purposes. “Japan should consider joint ventures especially in the field of water,” he said, adding that existing desalination plants are not meeting the needs as their equipment are old and the Kingdom’s population has increased nine fold since 1960s.
Samia Othman Falimban, manager at JCCI’s international relations department, said that the chamber was setting up an information center by yearend to provide data related to local, regional and global markets. “Data from the Ministry of Planning will also be made available,” she said. According to her, the Kingdom’s exports to Japan totaled $35.4 billion in 2006 and Japanese imports from the Kingdom were valued at $4.42 billion. Such exchange of visits between the two countries are expected to narrow the gap in the trade balance.
The Japanese delegation included Hideaki Aratani and Michifumi Kojima, both JCCME’s directors for planning and project. The delegation represents products and services ranging from shipbuilding, construction machinery, motorbikes, water supply and drainage systems, investment consultancy, plant engineering, to turnkey projects, solutions for environmental issues, and confectionery.
