Saudi Arabia is keen to tap Malaysian expertise and work together to promote its tourism industry. Malaysian International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed and Saudi Arabia-Malaysia Business Council chairman Dr Sheikh Ghassan Al-Sulaiman on Saturday discussed investment and joint venture potentials, which included the development of tourism-related infrastructure. Malaysian Trade Commissioner here, Amran Yem said Malaysia was invited to take part in the development of “Islam-centric” tourism projects in view of its success in the sector. “The first step is to meet the demand of the domestic market and later international, particularly for the Muslims,” he added. “Malaysia welcomes the initiative by the Saudis to explore opportunities for Malaysian companies offering services, expertise and management to the proposed projects,” he said. Mustapa arrived here Thursday en route to performing Umrah in Makkah before continuing with his week-long trade and investment mission to three Arab countries including Qatar and Egypt. In Makkah, he was briefed on the Jabal Omar development project near the Grand Mosque and was told of a plan to expand Malaysia's involvement. Among Malaysian companies currently involved in the project are Ahmad Zaki Resources and United Engineers. Mustapa also met Malaysians working and studying in Makkah organized by the Malaysia Business Council in Saudi Arabia. The council was formed in early 2009 to bring together Malaysian and Saudi professionals and entrepreneurs to enhance business relationship. In Riyadh, the final stop of the mission, Mustapa is scheduled to meet, among others, with Saudi Finance Minister Dr Ibrahim Abdul Aziz Al-Assaf, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Affairs of the Gulf Cooperation Council Mohd Obeid Al-Mazroui and President and Chairman of Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities Prince Sultan Bin Salman. Saudi Arabia was Malaysia's second largest trading partner in West Asia in 2008 with total trade amounting to RM11.1 billion, or 20.3 percent, of Malaysia's trade with the region and 0.9 percent of Malaysia's global trade. Exports to Saudi Arabia amounted to RM3.5 billion and imports RM7.6 billion in 2008 while in the January-July period this year, trade with Saudi Arabia amounted to RM4.1 billion. As of December 2008, Saudi companies implemented three manufacturing projects in Malaysia involving a capital investment of RM80.6 million in electrical and electronics, and textile products. In the non-manufacturing sector, significant investments were in information, communications and technology-related, property and financial services. On the way to the Jeddah airport before taking a flight to Riyadh, Mustapa stopped at a beach, a popular picnic spot among locals, to see the facilities there.
