JEDDAH, 20 May 2008 — Islamic Center for Development Trade (ICD), an arm of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), signed a cooperation agreement with Al-Harithy Company for Exhibitions Ltd. (ACE) at a ceremony here on Sunday night. OIC Secretary General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said that the deal would go a long way in facilitating the participation of exhibitors from OIC-member states at various international trade exhibitions organized by ACE here.
Allal Rachdi, director general of ICD, and Al-Harithy Group of Companies Chairman Sheriff Muwaffak Al-Harith signed the agreement. “The deal aims to promote cooperation among interested exhibitors from OIC-member states,” Rachdi said, adding that the agreement also aimed to gather and disseminate information about trade and investment potentials of member-countries and coordinate efforts to stage exhibitions.
Before the ceremony, both Ihsanoglu and Rachdi were conducted on a tour of the ‘Food, Hotel and Propac Arabia’ exhibition, which was earlier in the evening opened by Jaber M. Al-Shehri of Makkah Region’s General Agriculture Affairs administration. The annual exhibition is organized by Al-Harithy Company for Exhibitions Ltd., part of the Al-Harithy Group of Companies.
Ihsanoglu said that he was impressed by the layout of the exhibition, which was of world standard. He noted that 250 exhibitors from 26 countries were taking part in the five-day show, and was particularly delighted to see exhibitors from Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Malaysia and Pakistan having their major presence at the exhibition. Algeria, China, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea and Netherlands are among the other countries whose companies are participating alongside many Saudi firms.
The 3rd extraordinary Islamic Summit held in Makkah in December 2005 approved a new vision for the OIC economic cooperation by the adoption of the 10-Year program of action.
The program lays special stress on commercial and economic cooperation between the member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference.
The sector of food and agri industries provides huge potential and opportunities for trade exchange and joint investments between Islamic countries.
