Irish ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tony Cotter, meets the Secretary General of the Council of Saudi Chambers, Khalid Al Otaiby, in Riyadh.

November 2014

Tony Cotter, recently appointed Irish ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, made a visit to the Council of Saudi Chambers where he met with its Secretary General, Khalid Al Otaiby, as part of his mission to enhance Saudi-Irish relations.

 

The meeting discussed mechanisms to strengthen cooperation and joint partnerships between the business sectors of the two countries. The Irish ambassador noted the distinguished ties joining Ireland and Saudi Arabia, assuring his country's keenness on developing these ties even further. The purpose of his visit to the Council is to further explore the business opportunities in Saudi markets and to become more acquainted with its regulations, as well as to open channels of communication with the relevant institutions in its public and private sectors.

 

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 Irish Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Tony Cotter, in discussion with Khalid Al Otaiby, Secretary General of the Council of Saudi Chambers. 

The ambassador highlighted developments in the Irish economy, indicating the growth in its GDP by 4.7% this year, in addition to the increase in Irish exports - nearing $200b - to countries including USA, UK, and China, among others. He also noted Ireland's expertise in the fields of advanced technology, education, training, healthcare, tourism, agriculture, food, and pharmaceuticals, which offers vast opportunities for Saudi investors.

Secretary General Al Otaiby expressed the Council's readiness to assist in any way possible to further advance the two countries' bilateral relations, noting the Council's launch of the Saudi-Irish Business Council in 2012 and the role it has been playing since in facilitating communications between concerned parties in both countries.

It is worth noting that an Irish delegation specializing in technology is visiting the Kingdom on Nov 23, 2014, to further explore aspects of cooperation with their Saudi counterparts.