US officials and businessmen have accorded a warm welcome to a 50-member Saudi trade mission currently visiting American states to promote investment projects in natural gas, petrochemicals, water, electricity and other vital sectors. Saudi Ambassador to the US Prince Bandar bin Sultan expressed his satisfaction over the progress of the trade mission, which has already visited New York, Atlanta and Houston. "These forums are a way to promote strong economic ties between the two countries," he said about the delegation's road shows in five American US cities. "We encourage the US business community to take advantage of the presence of leading Saudi experts in the US to learn more about export market potential and business opportunities in the Kingdom," Prince Bandar said. "We have received a warm welcome from American officials and businessmen," said Khaled Al-Seif, chairman of the Committee for the Development of International Trade at the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry and head of the delegation. According to Al-Riyadh Arabic daily, representatives of some 150 American companies participated in a meeting organized at Sofitel Houston when the trade mission visited the city. --MORE 1054 Local Time 0754 GMT
