SAUDI, MALAYSIAN ALLIANCE ON TOURISM

Saudi Arabia is keen to tap Malaysian expertise and work together to promote its tourism industry. Malaysian International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed and Saudi Arabia-Malaysia Business Council chairman Dr Sheikh Ghassan Al-Sulaiman discussed investment and joint venture potentials, which included the development of tourism-related infrastructure. Malaysian Trade Commissioner, Amran Yem said Malaysia was invited to take part in the development of “Islam-centric” tourism projects in view of its success in the sector. “The first step is to meet the demand of the domestic market and later international, particularly for the Muslims,” he added. “Malaysia welcomes the initiative by the Saudis to explore opportunities for Malaysian companies offering services, expertise and management to the proposed projects,” he said. Saudi Arabia was Malaysia’s second largest trading partner in West Asia in 2008 with total trade amounting to RM11.1 billion, or 20.3 per cent, of Malaysia’s trade with the region and 0.9 per cent of Malaysia’s global trade. Exports to Saudi Arabia amounted to RM3.5 billion and imports RM7.6 billion in 2008 while in the January-July period this year, trade with Saudi Arabia amounted to RM4.1 billion.