ALKHOBAR: A high-level delegation of Saudi businessmen associated with the Eastern Province chamber of commerce begins a five-day visit to The Netherlands on Saturday.
The 13-member delegation is being led by prominent businessman Khalid A. Al-Abdulkarim. Among others, it includes Abdullah Ali Almajdouie and Abdul Aziz Abdul Hadi Al-Qahtani. The delegation will explore areas of cooperation between the two countries.
“The purpose of this visit is to meet with a number of officials and Dutch companies in the field of industry, petrochemicals, oil and gas, transport, marine services, logistics, water and training and education,” Al-Abdulkarim told Arab News. “The idea is to feel the pulse of the Dutch market as well as its local and international players,” he said.
Al-Abdulkarim said Saudi Arabia has had age-old trade ties with The Netherlands. “We all know the contribution of Saudi-Hollandi Bank. It was among the first banks to be established in the Kingdom, so Saudis are very familiar with The Netherlands. This visit, which is being organized in close cooperation with the Asharqia Chamber and the Dutch Embassy in Riyadh, will only deepen and expand our trade ties with The Netherlands,” he said.
In a statement to Arab News, Ron Strikker, Dutch ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said his mission and the Asharqia Chamber have been organizing the visit for some months now. “This resulted in a high-level delegation visit to The Netherlands. The Rotterdam Chamber of Commerce is proud to host this delegation and created a very interesting program,” the ambassador said.
Starting in Rotterdam, the delegation will meet with more than 80 Dutch companies in the field of energy, oil and gas, logistics and health care as well as related sectors to seek mutual business interests and cooperation.
The delegation will also hold talks with representatives of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and The Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency to discuss the further development of the bilateral trade and investment.
While sailing in the Port of Rotterdam, the delegation will have a meeting with the vice mayor of Rotterdam, the port director and businessmen from the seaport before touring Rotterdam area companies.
There have been historic ties between the two Kingdoms.
“Dutch companies have been involved for many years in the Saudi oil and gas, infrastructure and petrochemical sectors,” the ambassador said. “On the other hand, Saudi Aramco Overseas Company has been based for more than 50 years in The Netherlands, nowadays in The Hague while the headquarter of SABIC Europe is based in Sittard, a city in the southern part of the country.”
