RIYADH: A delegation of the Islamabad Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI), led by its President Muzzamil Hussain Sabri, called on Acting Ambassador of Saudi Arabia Muhammad Jasim Al-Khalidi and discussed ways to further enhance bilateral trade between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Sabri said both the countries enjoyed cordial relations that should be transformed into thriving trade and economic relations. He said Pakistan was exporting only a few products to Saudi Arabia including textiles, rice, meat, fish, spices, food and vegetables while there was a great scope for exporting more products like high quality medicines, cement and other industrial products.
He said there were more lucrative opportunities for Saudi investors in many sectors of Pakistan’s economy including oil and gas, petroleum and petrochemicals, power (coal, hydel, gas based), textiles, banking and financial services, fertiliser industries, gems and jewellery, light engineering, furniture, food and fruit processing, packaging, livestock, dairy farming, fisheries and infrastructure development. He stressed on the need to motivate the Saudi investors to visit Pakistan and take full advantage of countless investment opportunities. ICCI Senior Vice President Shakeel Munir said that Saudi Arabia had initiated some mega construction projects and it should explore importing marble products from Pakistan that were known for quality and variety.
ICCI representatives Ishtiaq Qureshi and Aminur Rehman said both the countries should cooperate in training programmes that would help in enhancing export of manpower from Pakistan to Saudi Arabia.Speaking on the occasion, Muhammad Jasim Al-Khalidi said Saudi Arabia considered Pakistan as an important trading partner and wanted to further enhance trade and economic relations with it.
