JEDDAH: The heightened security screening imposed by the United States on passengers from 14 countries including Saudi Arabia will negatively impact Saudi-US trade, said Abdul Rahman Al-Zamil, president of the Riyadh-based Export Development Center.
“Any obstacles imposed on passengers would affect trade and tourism traffic,” Al-Zamil said in a statement published by Al-Hayat daily on Wednesday. “It will have a major impact on trade and other business dealings between the two countries.”
The extra check means, he said, Saudi companies would not be able to send their executives and representatives to the US easily.
“No doubt, the new measures will also affect delegations that play a big role in boosting trade ties,” he said.
Al-Zamil said most countries would avoid participation in exhibitions or conferences in the US in order to avoid a possibility of their officials and representatives being harassed and getting into trouble in the US.
“This measure is going to affect major projects in the Kingdom, as some products related to these projects are being manufactured in the US and engineers from Saudi Arabia have to go there to inspect them. Importing these products from other countries will affect the standards set by the projects,” he pointed out.
Two-way trade between Saudi Arabia and the US exceeded SR193.3 billion last year with Saudi exports to the US reaching SR147.4 billion and imports SR45.9 billion. Saudi private investments in the US were estimated at SR58 billion in 2008.
However, Saud Al-Suwaileh, administrative director of Saudi-American Business Council, said the extra screening would not affect business relations.
“Washington has the right to take such measures in the light of the recent attempt to bomb a plane. Strict body checks on US-bound passengers at Saudi airports have been in place for quite some time,” he said.
Meanwhile, informed sources at General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) said body checks on passengers traveling to the US, Britain and France have been intensified at Saudi airports.
“There will be three points for checking, instead of one. We have done this on the request of the governments of these countries.”
The sources said the last checking would be carried out while passengers board the flight in order to make sure they don’t carry any prohibited thing.
