Kingdom, Finland to expand bilateral relations

Saudi Arabia and Finland are working closely to expand their bilateral ties in housing and information communication technology (ICT), said the Finnish housing minister.
Krista Kiuru, minister of Housing and Communication, made her remarks following Finnish participation in the International Exhibition & Forum for Education 2013 (IEFE).
The minister lauded the appointment of Saudi women at the Shoura Council. She said women historically have been holding important positions and this would prove that they are also capable of playing a role in many fields including politics.
“I am delighted myself to be female minister and have the privilege to take part in the political arena to improve the world,” she said.
In an exclusive interview yesterday at Four Season Hotel, Kiuru said housing is one of the areas where Finland and Saudi Arabia can share experience.
She said there are Finnish companies in the Kingdom who can offer much better than others when it comes to building, planning and construction technology.
“We have experience in dealing with any extreme environmental state, similar to Saudi Arabia where you there are two outmost weather conditions during winter and summer. in this context Finland has good experience in building environmental friendly houses,” she said.
Housing is a major concern of the Saudi government and Finnish market offers housing in competitive prices, she said.
“I would also welcome the Saudi minister of housing to visit Finland and share our experiences in this field,” she said.
“During my visit, I noticed that there are very affordable housing programs in the Kindom.”
She also noted that Saudi Arabia has good experience in e-government, which can benefit Finland. Finland is also is exploring digital technology.
“We need to be recognized digitally in the world,” she said. “That is a big step and we would like to hear from your digital reorganization.”