RIYADH: Saudi investors have held a number of meetings with their Turkish counterparts, resulting in a number of trade agreements signed, at a recent investment forum for fruit trade in the Middle East, held in the Turkish city of Antalya. Visits were also organised to control laboratories and a number of greenhouses and agricultural packaging plants.
The Chairman of the Association of Fruit and Vegetable Traders of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce, Suhaim Bin Saeed Al-Ghamdi, predicted that this year the import of vegetables and fruits from Turkey should rise by nearly 30%, noting that the forum served to close several agreements between the two sides. He also pointed out that the city of Antalya is characterised by the diversity of vegetable and fruit products, available all year round during different seasons, with products that stand out for their quality and competitive pricing compared to other markets.
Discussions at the forum also focused on finding ways to bring down any barriers to shipments and prevent delays in the customs clearance in a number of ports of the Kingdom. For his part, the Turkish Adviser, Dr Mustafa Kokso, stated that the goal of the forum has been to gather investors in the fruit and vegetable sector from the two countries to discuss investment and development opportunities and to address any obstacles to trade and work to overcome them.
