RIYADH: The Saudi-Danish Business Forum and Exhibition were jointly inaugurated by Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Council of Saudi Chambers (CSC) Chairman Abdul Rahman Al-Zamil at Prince Sultan Hall at Al-Faisaliah Hotel on Monday.
Addressing the opening ceremony, Al-Zamil expressed his happiness to see the Danish crown prince visiting the Kingdom and meeting Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman, top Saudi government and private sector officials and businessmen, and touring major Saudi landmarks in the capital, in addition to patronizing this important forum and exhibition. He hoped that this visit and event will contribute in consolidating trade and investment ties between the two friendly countries.
Danish Ambassador Ole Reijs-Madsen said in his opening address that the current Danish trade promotion visit to the Kingdom, headed by the Danish crown prince and crown princess, reflects an interest between Denmark and the Kingdom for developing more areas of cooperation in a range of commercial sectors.
“Danish companies, for many years, have been active in developing trade with the Kingdom, establishing themselves with production facilities, sales offices and shops. Trade is really a vehicle to development, mutual understanding and cooperation,” he emphasized.
Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs Kristian Jensen said that the ambitious structural change in the Kingdom’s economic activities, recently launched by the Saudi leadership, matches very well the Danish strongholds within food, health, and sustainability. “We believe that Danish business can contribute greatly to the economic development of Saudi Arabia with shared growth and prosperity as a result,” he said.
Danish Minister for Environment and Food Esben Lunde Larsen said that Danish companies are world leading in the field of safety and quality of food products and in providing solutions to cost efficient and sustainable water and waste management. Many of these companies already have business relations with Saudi companies, but there is further potential for commercial and technological collaboration.
Minister of Health Sophie Lehde said that Denmark and the Kingdom have great potential to share knowledge in the field of health care in the coming years.
More than 200 Saudi and Danish businessmen attended the one-day forum and exhibition, including around 100 Danish businessmen from the delegation accompanying the Danish crown prince. Discussions included the current state of bilateral business relations and exploring ways to promote them in various fields.
At the exhibition, called Danish Market, more than forty Danish companies displayed their services and products in various fields including architecture, healthy food and beverage making, food quality surveillance and control, pharmaceutical products, renewable energy, efficient use of energy, medical cities design and construction, medical equipment, traffic management, smart cities construction, and waste and water management.
Majid Al-Hokair, the deputy chairman of Abdulmohsen Al-Hokair Group for Tourism and Development and deputy head of the tourism committee at both CSC and RCCI, welcomed the Danish crown prince and his delegation to Saudi Arabia.
“Both countries can benefit from each other in many fields like health care, renewable energy, efficient use of energy, diary products and smart cities. I hope this visit and forum will pave the way for more understanding, cooperation and business exchange,” he said.
