A delegation of 25 UK companies from different sectors under Noel Johnston, manager of “Invest Northern Ireland Mission,” held products exhibition at the British consulate here for a networking event on Monday. Johnston said the main aim of the delegation was to meet partners and at the same time seek distributors for their products. The trade mission included new companies in the architectural sector. “Saudi Arabia is a vast economic partner …we look at it (Saudi Arabia) with great potential for business,” he said, adding that at the progress the Kingdom is making “we see great opportunity for UK companies to invest in Saudi Arabia and working with Saudi companies.” He said “there is a lot of opportunities for Saudi counterparts in green technology, water treatment and changing gray water into pure water , as we are going through a great technological change which is coming through research and invention. I think those types of opportunities would be perfect for Saudis to invest again in UK.” The British deputy consul general and head of trade and investment section in Jeddah Greg Gibson opened the ceremony of the trade mission and said that the main purpose of this trade mission is to bring investment of northern Ireland “ at the moment there are 19 companies over here because it is horizontal mission it's about promoting different sectors from education, plastic, mining, construction, power sector , safety and security , hospitality , food and drink etc,” he said “they already have been to Al Khobar and now from Jeddah they will go to Riyadh, the purpose is to meet Saudi companies and businessmen and talk to them and develop some business contacts for the future. Primarily we do it to support British companies coming out here to trade in Saudi Arabia if opportunity arrives for Saudi Arabian companies and businessmen to visit UK its also most welcome,” he explained “most companies are set out to exports their goods to Saudi,” he said “UK trade and investments also focuses on Saudi companies to invest in UK but in Jeddah we tend to focus more and more on the incoming trade than the outgoing, that will mark the changes in the future,” he said. Saudi businessmen are very keen to meet directly with the British businessmen as the time is high for development in Saudi Arabia. Abdul Karim Yahya Munshi, general manager of Abdul Karim Yahya Munshi Est., said “though China took over the whole world market and the sterling pound rate went down, still there are many items which others can't cover, I am buying many items from UK like petroleum jelly and different types of glass. It's really nice to meet the British trade delegation, since through this, we got more opportunities to deal with the British businessmen. I prefer that Saudi businessmen will invest in UK but the problem is that the currency rate is very high and our market is competitive which always produces cheap and good quality products.” Saudi businessmen think it is a good opportunity to increase the relation between the businessmen of the two countries. Mohammed A. Al-Amri, executive manager of Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, said “it is a good time to have a business delegation and increase cooperation, as Saudi Arabia wasn't affected with the economic crunch.” He added “we need foreign trade as we are part of the world, but at the same time we hope we will see our national products lead in the world markets.” Irwin McNeill, director of HKR Architects, said that they are trying to explore the best ways to do business in the Kingdom. In Al-Khobar they saw future potentials. “We think we will find the same potential in Jeddah and Riyadh and set up a associate office over here and a joint venture with the government sector or private sector,” he said. He noted an opportunity in Emaar economic city and “we will be delighted to help anyone.”
