Irish National Day celebrated in Jeddah

Irish Ambassador Tony Cotter, his wife Maria Cotter, Honorary Consul Mohammed Naghi and his wife, Abeer Alsunadi, welcomed guest of honor Ambassador Jamal Bakr Belkhour, director general of the protocol department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jeddah’s diplomatic community, Saudi businessmen and media figures in addition to the Irish community in the Western Region.
Ambassador Cotter said that it was good to be in Jeddah and hear the sound of waves and smell the sea, and experience the one additional thing which makes Jeddah special, which is its warm welcome.
“We are gathered here to celebrate Irish National Day. Ireland is really a unique country. It is a sovereign state in western Europe occupying about five-sixths of the island of Ireland with a population of almost 6 million people,” said Cotter.
He said the National Day is celebrated all around the world. “It’s really an honor to come to Jeddah and celebrate our National Day. My late mother always taught me the importance of saying thanks, I would like to thank those who attended and arranged this evening, especially Naghi, a very successful businessman from a very respected and honored family. Since I became ambassador last September, consistent support from the honorary consul has always been there,” he said.
He said many Irish people here in Saudi Arabia had no choice but to leave the country to find a living, but thankfully the Irish economy has no problems and it has grown to such an extent that all coming generations will hopefully have the option of either staying at home or going abroad to find a living.
Last year, the Irish economy grew by 4.8 percent, which was, at that time, the highest level of growth among all countries of the European Union. The Irish economy is the fastest growing economy in the world, with exports at the highest rate in the history of the country.
Over 1,400 multinational companies have chosen Ireland as their EU headquarters; nine out of the Top 10 ICT companies in the world chose Ireland as their EU headquarters, among them eBay, Google, Facebookand Twitter.
“This year, Ireland will achieve a GDP approaching $250 billion; it is absolutely incredible that a small island in Europe with a small population can achieve such a GDP. Things are very positive for the Irish economy and I feel our best days are in front of us,” he said.
He also thanked office manager Rodaina Harb for her hard work and support.