Mohammed bin Ali Al-Ali, who is based in Pretoria, South Africa, also talked in general about the need to increase relations with the island nation in other key areas as well.
“Trade relations are becoming more important than politics,” Al-Ali said after a working session with Mauritius Minister of Industry and Commerce Showkutally Soodhun.
“Regarding food security, we can see how Mauritius can help us in planting our crops and exporting them to Saudi Arabia,” Al-Ali said.
The meeting took place at the minister’s office in Port Louis in the presence of Malek Ghawas, the attaché at the Saudi Embassy, and Yasine Mohabuth, an adviser to the Mauritius minister.
Al-Ali also inquired about the port and free port facilities in Mauritius, especially regarding storage of petroleum products and the entrance of big vessels.
Soodhun, a seasoned Muslim parliamentarian, has been spearheading efforts for the consolidation of relations between his country and Saudi Arabia.
“I have signed many contracts in the past with the Saudi authorities, especially with Prince Abdulaziz bin Fahd in 1989 regarding the construction of the Islamic Cultural Center with the help of the Islamic Development Bank,” Soodhun said.
“I admit that these relations were not sufficiently cemented as we focused too much on religious affairs, but I can say that there are ongoing preliminary discussions in respect of a double taxation avoidance agreement as well as an investment promotion agreement with the Kingdom,” he added.
Soodhun said being the minister he will now “see to it that we have increased relations, especially as Prime Minister Navinchandra Ramgoolam wants to open up more trade with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. I thank the very open-minded, dynamic and enthusiastic Ambassador Al-Ali for his invitation to bring our businessmen to Saudi Arabia.”
The minister also arranged for Al-Ali to visit the Mauritian government’s Board of Investment and Enterprise.
Al-Ali handed over 50 tons of dates to the country as a gift from the Kingdom.
A stable democracy with regular free elections and a positive human rights record, Mauritius has attracted considerable foreign investment and has earned one of Africa’s highest per capita incomes. Recent poor weather, declining sugar prices, and declining textile and apparel production, have slowed economic growth. About 17 percent of the country’s 1.3 million population is Muslim.
