"The delegation will explore the possibilities of sharing Belgian expertise with Saudi partners as well as local authorities interested in cooperation to develop new partnerships in the sports industry," Vinck told Arab News in an exclusive interview.
He said that the companies belong to the Belgian Sport Technology Club (BSTC), which groups specialists organizing sports events together and was set up by AGORIA, the federation for the technology industry, and the Belgian Olympic Committee.
The 56-year-old envoy also said that the delegation will meet with Saudi sports authorities, members of the football federation and other sports organizations.
Vinck expressed optimism that following on the heels of the visit will be improved bilateral trade volume totaling SR1.3 billion between Saudi Arabia and Belgium.
"If Saudi Arabia will invest more in sports infrastructure, the companies under the Belgian Sport Technology Club will be ready to provide the necessary international sports expertise," he said.
He added that at present, one Belgian firm called Alfacam, which is the largest supplier of television facilities at the Beijing Olympics, is already operational in Saudi Arabia.
"Since September 2011, Alfacam has more than six broadcast vans equipped with HDTV cameras operational in the Kingdom and is broadcasting live all the relevant football games in the Kingdom," he said.
Moreover, he added, the Belgian company Besix is currently developing the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah with Saudi Aramco and other Saudi partners.
"It is one of the most exciting projects in sports infrastructure in the region," said Vinck, who joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brussels in 1980.
He added that Belgium also has a unique expertise in breeding Arabian horses, building of specialized infrastructure, training of horses and management of Arabian horse festivals.
"This apparently did not go unnoticed to the Saudi Equestrian Federation which sent its athletes to Belgium to prepare for the 2012 London Olympics," he said, adding that Belgian firms had concluded contracts to the tune of SR1.3 billion regarding the preparations for the Olympic Games.
The contracts were undertaken by nine different companies, with the dredging and environmental group DEME locking up the biggest contract. DEME cleaned up the sites in East London where the Olympic village and stadium are being built.
The companies represented in the delegation include Barco, which provides top quality LED screens; Bertele, which is specialized in the production of spectator seating for outdoor and indoor stadiums and sports halls and also active in design, development and production of electronic scoreboards for advertising and public and sports information; Betafence, the global market leader in fencing and security solutions; Veldeman, which is specialized in customized temporary, semi-permanent and permanent buildings; Lemants, a first class steel construction company; Philips, global leader in lighting and lighting innovation (integrated stadium and arena lighting); PRG, a full-service provider for the entertainment and event industry; Seco and SGS, which are building companies; and Swimex, which is engaged in spa and aquatic therapy pool.
