German Ambassador Dieter W. Haller left on Wednesday night after serving as his country’s representative for two and a half years in Saudi Arabia. He had earlier served in South Africa from 2007 to 2011 before assuming his post in the Kingdom.

“It is with sadness that my wife Sabine and I leave the Kingdom. During my stint here, there was no time to be bored because there was always something to do which I enjoyed,” he said.

“Weekends saw me in the Eastern Province to strengthen our relationships with friends in the public and private sectors and make them feel that the embassy in the Saudi capital does not forget them,” he added.

He said that two and a half years were too short to do all the things that “I think would further strengthen bilateral ties but we accomplished much.”

“I thank the Saudi leadership, including Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal, for the friendship and close collaboration which Germany and the Kingdom now enjoy,” he said.

He added that the Kingdom “has been a hospitable host to diplomats and expatriates as well and a close ally for Germany on various political issues.”

He said that on the political front, Germany and Saudi Arabia have assumed the same stand on international issues, including the Palestinian question.

He added that Germany also has the same stand with the Kingdom in the fight against terrorism.

“It has been a great privilege for Germany to enjoy excellent ties with the Kingdom, which has played a key role in maintaining peace and order in the region,” he said.

Haller also said that he was able to set up a visa application center in Al Khobar “so that residents in the Eastern Province need not come to the embassy in Riyadh to apply.”

“Since July 2012 when I first arrived, we also started issuing visas from Jeddah. Before that, applicants had to travel to the Saudi capital,” he said.

On trade, Haller said that the bilateral trade between the two countries now touches SR53 billion, noting that the amount is expected to increase in the near future.

There are also numerous joint ventures between the two countries, which create job opportunities especially for Saudi nationals.

“About a year ago, we also laid the foundation for a manufacturing plant for the German firm Siemens. If and when the plant becomes operational, some 2,000 job opportunities will be created,” the diplomat added.

“There’s much to be done. I hope that in my new position in the home office in Berlin I could continue collaborating with our Saudi friends to whom I and Sabine have difficulty saying good-bye to,” he said.

Haller, who joined the German foreign service in 1981, will assume a new position in the home office as director general for economic affairs and sustainable development and economic relationships.

Aside from South Africa, Haller had also been posted in Chile and Kenya.

He studied political science and international law at the University of Tubingen in southern Germany and was an exchange student at the University of Cambridge.