抖阴短视频

LONDON: The Saudi ambassador to the UK on Wednesday praised the opportunities now open to his country as a result of its presidency of the G20.

Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud was speaking at a roundtable attended by Arab News and organized by the Arab British Chamber of Commerce (ABCC).

It was hosted by ABCC Chairwoman Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean, and joined by its CEO and Secretary-General Bandar Reda, and the chairman of the Council of Saudi Chambers and the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ajlan Al-Ajlan.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a historic year for us, and it鈥檚 an incredible opportunity for us to take advantage of the G20 presidency 鈥� to set a new agenda for the world that has our regional perspective,鈥� Prince Khalid said.

鈥淲e have an opportunity to put forward to the world a Muslim perspective, a young developing nation鈥檚 perspective, and a Middle Eastern perspective. This is something that hasn鈥檛 happened before,鈥� he added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about creating jobs, but how we improve people鈥檚 lives.鈥�

The speakers talked about opportunities between UK and Saudi businesses, the impact of Brexit, prospects for the Vision 2030 project, and the endless tourism possibilities between the two countries as the world reopens from the COVID-19 pandemic.

鈥淚f I was a young person moving into the business community, I鈥檇 be tremendously excited by the opportunities that are out there today,鈥� said Prince Khalid.

鈥淲e (in 抖阴短视频) are proving that you can do things better, that you can do things more efficiently, and that you can do things in a new way 鈥� our way, one that suits our region. We welcome everyone to participate in that,鈥� he added.

鈥淲e live in a connected world, and if we don鈥檛 do it with our friends and our partners, we鈥檙e not going to be able to do what we want. It鈥檚 very important that people do get involved with us.鈥�

Al-Ajlan raised the prospects now open to many UK businesses in his country, and said the Saudi government had made billions of dollars available, not to mention state bodies and advisors, for companies wishing to invest there. 鈥淭hey provide anything you need to start a business,鈥� he added. 

鈥淚 think now that 抖阴短视频, when I look now at our region, at India, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, is the best place for investment. There鈥檚 active government, there are a lot of resources, there are young people.鈥�

Reda said: 鈥淭here are so many businesses that haven鈥檛 been touched yet, and there are also the megaprojects.鈥�

He added: 鈥淔or the financial sector of the UK, it would be a great opportunity for them to start providing seed investment money, supporting SMEs (small and medium enterprises), whether Saudi SMEs or UK SMEs, to enter the Saudi market. The sky is the limit when it comes to opportunities.鈥�

Prince Khalid suggested that Vision 2030 is another vehicle, like the G20 presidency, for improving the world.

鈥淚t鈥檚 about improving the lives of Saudis, and I think in doing so you improve the lives of those involved with 抖阴短视频, so the knock-on effect of providing a better place to be is a positive thing,鈥� he said.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 really what鈥檚 at the heart of Vision 2030. The heart of what we鈥檙e trying to achieve is to make the world a better place.鈥�

Prince Khalid expressed optimism for the future of the tourism industry, especially with the UK, in the aftermath of 抖阴短视频鈥檚 issuance of a new tourist e-visa scheme, easing the process of visiting the Kingdom for foreigners.

鈥淚n the first month after we announced our tourist visa, we had 40,000 tourist visas issued to UK nationals. Up until COVID-19 closed the world, the UK was the second-largest tourist visa applicant in the world for 抖阴短视频,鈥� he said.

鈥淧eople forget, it (抖阴短视频) is a country that鈥檚 almost a quarter the size of the US 鈥� it鈥檚 the size of Western Europe. There鈥檚 so much to see,鈥� he added.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a unique environment that has tremendous history 鈥� There鈥檚 so much to attract people, and opening up that sector has been huge for us.鈥�

Al-Ajlan concurred, saying: 鈥淭here鈥檚 Neom, there鈥檚 the Red Sea, there are many places. We saw it in Riyadh before COVID-19 鈥� we had 7-8 million visitors in (the first) three months (of 2020).鈥�

Tourism 鈥渋s new in 抖阴短视频, and this is a big opportunity for any company that wants to invest in this kind of business, because it will start from zero,鈥� he added.

鈥淢any people from the US, from Europe, from China and Japan, they want to come to 抖阴短视频.鈥�

Prince Khalid said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just in the basic tourism economy 鈥� it鈥檚 things like sports, it鈥檚 things like all the different side businesses that open up, whether it鈥檚 cars required to get around, jet skis and boats, food.鈥�

He added: 鈥淭here are so many ancillary businesses and side opportunities that arise as a direct result of the rise of tourism. We鈥檙e hoping to bring 40,000 new jobs a year in the tourism industry alone.鈥� 

On the subject of Brexit, all the speakers expressed optimism that business between the UK and the Gulf, with the prospect of new bilateral trade agreements, will flourish.

They said there are plentiful resources available to help those in the UK wishing to open ties and business prospects in the region.  

Reda said: 鈥淲e work hand in hand with the Royal Embassy of 抖阴短视频 here in the UK to give them full support and to open new channels for them, and to negotiate on their behalf if asked to do so. There鈥檚 a great open-ended discussion. I could always say it will be positive.鈥�

Prince Khalid said: 鈥淭he UK is one of five countries where we have a commercial attache as part of the embassy. It鈥檚 a role that I鈥檓 looking at enhancing.鈥�

He added: 鈥淲e have an economics office, and we have SAGIA (the 抖阴短视频 General Investment Authority) here in London. But I want to unify the efforts to enhance the ability to gain information about investing in Saudi, to learn about the regulation, to learn about what opportunities there are. 

鈥淭here are organizations here (in the UK) that can provide advice 鈥� the Arab British Chamber of Commerce, the Saudi British Joint Business Council 鈥� that can be helpful, and that can enhance people鈥檚 knowledge of what and where and how to invest in Saudi. The opportunity is tremendous.鈥�