This is with reference to the report “New era in Arab-South American relations” (Nov. 11). The Arab world is moving in the right direction. It is important for the Middle Eastern countries to forge new alliances and move away from unreliable partnerships.

Friendship between two countries should be mutually beneficial. If one side does not care about the other’s interests then it is better to maintain a safe distance. Of course, severing ties is not possible but a country can reduce its reliance on fair-weather allies. The number of leaders who attended the summit clearly indicates the significance of this event. The two regions have huge potential. Measures should be taken to add new dimensions to this partnership. It would be wrong to assume that it was the first interaction between the two sides; this summit has only taken the partnership to a new level.

The Arab world, particularly the GCC countries, has huge potential and the same goes for the South American economies. As far as Saudi Arabia is concerned, the uniqueness of its economy is unrivaled in the region. The Kingdom should exploit the situation to its advantage by opening its doors to foreign investors particularly from South America. It would be in the interest of the Kingdom to devise investor-friendly policies by removing bureaucratic hurdles so as to attract foreign direct investment in the country. There are various other measures that the Kingdom should take to emerge as the regional and global economic hub.

Rahat Usman

Jeddah