RIYADH: American companies are showing keen interest to import non-oil Saudi products, particularly the agricultural products such as dates, said David Callahan, vice-president, Business Development, US-Saudi Arabian Business Council. Callahan said since its inception in 1993 the US-Saudi Arabian Business Council has been organizing a number of American business delegations to Saudi Arabia. “But this is the first time that we have brought US agriculture delegation, which is a recognition of the opportunity and in response to King Abdullah's strategic agricultural initiative for food security in the Kingdom,” Callahan said. Callahan is leading a 10-member US business delegation comprising of agricultural companies. He was speaking to the Saudi Gazette at a luncheon hosted in Riyadh by US-Saudi Arabian Business Council. Prominent Saudi and American businessmen and US Ambassador James B. Smith were also present. The American companies are currently in Riyadh also to participate in the ongoing Saudi Agro-2010 exhibition. “We are here not only to market our products but also to work with Saudi companies to help them move Saudi products into the United States. We are talking with Saudi date producers to market their products in America, and the response is encouraging,” he said. He said the American agricultural compa nies can help Saudi date producers to market their products in the US. The Saudis are required to build their brand image in America, he said. Abdulrahman Al-Jeraisy, president of the Council of Saudi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and acting chairman of US-Saudi Arabian Business Council, said Saudi Arabia has been exporting dates and related products to a number of countries in the world. “We are also ready to export our agricultural products, particularly dates to the US,” he said. He said a multi-million riyal export-oriented date factory is currently under construction in Riyadh. “The state-of-the-art factory owned by a conglomerate of Saudi companies will manufacture various kinds of juices and drinks from dates produced from organic farming in Saudi Arabia,” said Al-Jeraisy. He said Saudi Arabia has been exporting dates and related products such as date syrup, date-powder and packed biscuits and chocolatest to a number of countries.
