An 18-member German business delegation arrived here yesterday seeking to strengthen relations between the two countries’ small and medium enterprise (SME) sectors and explore opportunities in the field of civil security.

Ernst Burgbacher, German Deputy Minister of Economics, is leading the delegation on its three-day trip.

Speaking to Arab News, German Ambassador Dieter Haller said that the meetings held so far were fruitful.

He also announced that top Saudi government office bearers will visit Germany for the Monday to Friday Hannover Fair. The Saudi delegation includes Minister of Commerce and Industry Tawfiq Al-Rabiah and Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) Governor Abdullatif Al-Othman. The Kingdom has a large pavilion at the technology fair. Haller said the visiting German delegation includes representatives from various top firms and service providers including Bosch, EADS/Cassidian, Astrium, Draeger and Schleicher, and the German Agency for International Cooperation.

The delegation will meet Deputy Minister of Finance Hamad bin Suleiman Al-Bazie' and Deputy Minister of Economy and Planning Dr. Ahmed Habeeb, among others. Burgbacher will also visit the Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu for talks with representatives of the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC).

The visit has been organized by the German Industry and Commerce for Saudi Arabia and Yemen in cooperation with the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI).

The ambassador told Arab News that a round table business-to-business meeting with high-ranking German and Saudi officials was held. It was chaired by Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Zamil, president of RCCI. The thrust of the talks was to identify areas of common interest and draw up plans for bilateral cooperation in the civil security sector.

“Saudi-German cooperation in civil security has been a great success in the past. Nevertheless, as one of the fastest growing economies in the world, there is still huge potential for cooperation in the future. The delegation of German Industry and Commerce is eager to serve as a platform for the promotion of German-Saudi Arabian business relations to support investment and commercial projects,” said Andreas Hergenröther, one of the delegates.

“The visit of the Parliamentary Secretary of State, Burgbacher, clearly underlines the commitment of German politics and business to promote sustainable business cooperation between the companies of our two countries,” Hergenröther said.

“We want to assure you that we are interested in fair and sustainable business relations which allow both sides to benefit. Our philosophy is not to sell and go away; we want to stay as a long term partner of Saudi Arabia — a partner that can support the Kingdom in accomplishing the objectives of industrial diversification and promotion of foreign direct investment.”