Dr. Abdullah Marei Bin Mahfouz, deputy chairman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry (JCCI), discussed with Yasuyuki Murahashi, director general of Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), Riyadh branch, possible means of enhancing economic and trade relations between the two countries. In a meeting held at the JCCI headquarters on Sunday, Bin Mahfouz said “the current volume of trade exchange between the two countries is just about $45 billion. So far the Kingdom jumped to the fifth place in the list of key partners to Japan after it was ranked ninth in 2005, while Japan ranked second on the list of key partners of the Kingdom.” He added that in investment, Japan ranked first among the countries investing in the Kingdom, with a total investment of around SR44.6 billion distributed among 24 projects, of which 16 are industrial projects and 8 projects are in the services sector. He further said the relations between the two countries are vibrant and strong, pointing to the economic and technical cooperation agreement signed by the governments in 1975. Bin Mahfouz pointed out that 1,560 Saudi trainees have so far utilized the training programs organized in various parts of Japan in the professional and technical sectors, specifically in the fields of manpower development, water resources management, desalination, sewage treatment, environmental protection, petrochemicals, health care, high technology, industrial development. He also noted the existing cooperation with Japan Cooperation Center for the Middle Mast (JCCME) through it's “Japan Water Desk” in Jeddah Chamber which was established in 2005 in order to promote investment and technology transfers related to water resources from Japan to Saudi Arabia. The office currently offers the latest Japanese technologies in different industrial & technical sectors.
