"Saudi Arabia is a strong market for Germany. As head
of GESALO, it's incumbent upon me to work for a long-term relationship in
various sectors," said Andreas Hergenroether, a lawyer and the new
delegate of German Industry & Commerce for Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
In this connection, he had been meeting with various Saudi
businessmen, like last week during a reception at the Riyadh Marriott Hotel for
the German architects' delegation which visited the Kingdom.
He said the areas in which GESALO is working on as far as
the Kingdom is concerned include trade, technology transfer (in solar energy
and waste water management), vocational training, investment, services,
maintenance, among others, adding that Germany has been having good business ties
with Saudi Arabia.
"German exports to the Kingdom last year touched one
billion euros while its imports from Saudi Arabia totaled 900 million
euros," Hergenroether said.
Various trade delegations have been lined up to visit Saudi
Arabia until next year. On Sunday, a trade delegation representing eight
industrial companies will visit Riyadh, and on Tuesday it will proceed to
Jeddah.
The companies deal in various products such as high quality
hoses, tubes, fittings and hose line production equipment; production of high
precision parts in automotive, hydraulics and pneumatics; bottles for drinking
water and carbonated drinks; industrial equipment and spare parts; design,
production and service of high quality braking systems; among many others.
GESALO will also organize a Saudi delegation to visit Munich
on Jan. 17-22 to attend the trade fair on engineering and architecture, where
high-quality construction materials will be showcased. This event is held every
three years.
On Jan. 22-24, a German petrochemical trade delegation
representing 22 companies will visit Riyadh, Dammam and Jubail and on March
11-14, a delegation from the German metal industry will also visit the Kingdom.
Hergenroether said that as the new delegate of the German
Industry and Commerce in the Kingdom, part of his job is to disseminate
information on the German Chamber Network (AHK) in general.
"AHKs are the key players of German foreign business
development on behalf of Germany. They represent German business interests and
promote Germany as a business location," he said.
Before he was posted to Saudi Arabia, Hergenroether was the
chief executive of the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce in Algeria.
