Frank Galea, who will arrive in the Kingdom in March, will succeed Montanaro. The outgoing ambassador told Arab News that the time he served in the Kingdom has seen greatly increased cooperation between the two countries.
The turning point, he said, was the signing of a general agreement in 2005 that opened doors to boosting Saudi-Maltese political and economic relations
“I would like to bid farewell to Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah; Crown Prince Sultan, deputy premier, minister of defense and aviation; Riyadh Gov. Prince Salman, and Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, and to thank their royal highnesses for making my sojourn here both meaningful and productive,” he said. “I would also like to bid farewell to the many colleagues, friends, and contacts I have made during my time here. These five years have passed remarkably fast. It was indeed a fruitful and fulfilling term for me.”
The ambassador said he is convinced the two countries will continue to strengthen cooperation in the coming years. There are, he said, considerable opportunities to be exploited, in particular education and the financial sector. Malta University, he pointed out, enjoys a strong reputation worldwide. Moreover, because Malta is bilingual in English as well as Maltese — a variant of Arabic — the Mediterranean island republic is well provided with English-language teaching schools. As demand for English inevitably grows throughout the Arab world, Montanaro believes that increasing numbers of Arabs will head there to learn the language.
The island’s banking sector will also attract Saudi interest, Montanaro said. It is robust and has earned international praise, he noted, pointing to the fact that it ranked as the 10th soundest in the world. Malta has established itself as a center within the EU for the reinsurance business, he pointed out.
He believes that the island’s tourist facilities with its many holiday resorts and historical sites will attract increasing numbers of Saudis looking for a reasonably-priced alternatives to Egypt and Lebanon for family vacations.
