JEDDAH, 18 July 2007 — The Savola Group received US Ambassador Ford Freker at its headquarters in Jeddah on Monday to discuss bilateral trade opportunities and the prospects of cooperation between Savola and US firms.
The ambassador’s visit to the group comes in recognition of its position, which is one of the Kingdom’s largest companies and a significant player overseas in the MENA region and East Asia. Savola’s core operating business includes foods (sugar, oils & fats), retail, plastics, real estate and franchises.
Dr. Sami Baroum, managing director of the Savola Group welcomed the ambassador and his delegation that included Robert Murphy, consular for economic affairs and Bassam Al-Hassan, political economic chief, and expressed his delight at the visit, in the presence of Savola senior executives — Dr. Mohammed Amin Kashgari, CEO retail sector, Dr. Mohammad Ali Ikhwan, senior vice president M&A, Dr. Mohammad Hassan Ajlan, president of the group’s business development, Mahmoud Abdulghaffar, senior vice president corporate affairs and board secretary, and Faten Alyafi, CSR and communications manager.
Baroum gave a presentation featuring Savola’s major evolution, achievements, business development and strategy, in addition to the corporate social responsibility programs introduced by the group and its corporate governance practices. Each agreed on the importance of sharing information to further boost the business relations between the United States and the Kingdom and enhance their relationship. They also emphasized to build on this visit to explore mutual interests in the future. On his part, the ambassador thanked the group’s executive management for its welcome and stressed his keenness on the development of the economic and trade relations between the two countries. The ambassador also praised the achievements of the Savola Group and its outstanding performance and geographic expansion, which provided the group with a distinct reputation and an important contribution to the Saudi economy.
