Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – Top officials of the Gammon Group and the Saudi Canadian Business Council (SCBC) unveiled plans to tie up in implementing mega investment projects in the Kingdom. Sheikh Rafik Mohammed, chairman of Gammon Group, and Edwin Holder, Canadian president of SCBC, announced this after their recent meeting in Riyadh. They said that the Vision 2030 would be instrumental in spurring the Kingdom's development momentum. Holder said Saudi Arabia would soon become one of the most favorite destinations of foreign investors, thanks to the Vision 2030. "We have plans to make big investments in key projects in the Kingdom, and talks are underway to tie up with Gammon Group to pump investments into Jazan Economic City and Rabigh projects. We will carry out more feasibility studies in this regard," he said. Holder said the Saudi Canadian bilateral relations are excellent and the Vision 2030 will help to further boost the business ties and economic cooperation. He pointed to several agreements between the Kingdom and Canada especially in energy, commerce, industry, and higher education sectors. "There are about 15,000 Saudi students doing their higher studies in Canada, and there are several Canadian companies working in the Kingdom's mining sector. We prefer to tie up with Gammon, which has experience and expertise in implementing mega projects." Gammon earlier signed bilateral entrepreneurship agreement with the Canadian real estate development giant Ideal Developments Inc. Edwin arrived in the Kingdom along with several other Canadian business leaders in their bid to forge closer trade partnerships with their Saudi counterparts. Officials of more than 250 Saudi and Canadian firms attended the high profile Saudi-Canadian small and medium-enterprise (SME) business meeting held in Riyadh. Mohammed, the Gulf-based prominent businessman of Indian origin, said the Gammon Group is pleased to enter in partnership with the Canadian entrepreneurs and businessmen. "A high level delegation from Gammon, headed by its President Prince Saud Bin Musaed Bin Abdulaziz will soon visit Canada to give final touches to the ongoing negotiations with the Canadian business leaders. Our Group wants to play an active role in materializing the Vision 2030 plan, initiated by Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, second deputy premier and minister of defense, and endorsed by the Council of Ministers recently." He hoped that the Vision would be big boost to the Jazan Economic City and other mega projects across the Kingdom. The Gammon Group, with its corporate office in Jeddah, has been assigned to develop the SR75 billion Jazan Industrial City by bringing in foreign investors to build its entire infrastructure facilities. Major Indian, Chinese and European firms including the pharmaceutical company owned by Dr. B.R. Shetty, leading NRI businessman and Indian billionaire, have already entered into agreements for investing in the Jazan project. The talks were also attended by Abdullah Khalafullah Al-Obaidi, director of Gammon Group and secretary to Prince Saud Bin Musaed Bin Abdulaziz, Usman Siddiqui, senior consultant of Canada Export and Import Council, Mark Bristol, chief financial officer of Ideal Developments Inc., Shasad Mohammed, director of Ideal Developments Middle East, Omkara, director of corporate Affairs, and Nikhil S Makath, business development director of Gammon Group.
