Attractive (R-L in front) Dr. Rizwan Khan Qureshi, cardio-thoracic surgeon; Dominic James, director of British expertise, Middle East and Africa; and Dr. Paul Crawford, deputy head of healthcare and life science sector with the other members of the health trade delegation.
A delegation of 17 companies of UK from the health sector led by Dominic James, director of Middle East and Africa at British expertise and Dr. Paul Crawford, deputy head of healthcare and life science sector, specialists from UK Trade & Investment and British Expertise concluded their five-day visit to Saudi Arabia Wednesday to enhance the business in the health sector.
The delegation had a meeting with the Saudi business partners in Jeddah as part of a Healthcare market. The visit was organized by UK Trade & Investment, the UK government’s support organization for companies wishing to internationalize their business.
“Saudi Arabia is one of the countries in the Gulf where it is easy to do investment and trade. The primary mission of the delegation is to help the UK companies to take advantage of opportunities in the Saudi market and highlight the breath of UK excellence to Saudi businessmen.
Many of the companies are new to the Saudi Arabian market and are aiming to establish long-term local business partners,” said Dominic James, director of British expertise in Middle East and Africa.
“It has been very clear to me that there are lots of opportunities for health sector to invest in Saudi Arabia,” he added.
Moreover, he said “at the same time Saudi government is also doing a lot of work in education and health sector, so Britain can help Saudi Arabia as there is capacity in Saudi hospitals and health sector for health equipment and medical instruments, etc.”
“We met many businessmen and companies in groups and individual basis, even with the officials of the health ministry and SAGIA. It was a very positive experience, together we can make a difference. There is a great opportunity in the trade sector and it is very important area to boost the economy of both the countries,” he further said.
He also explained that though a number of British companies are already doing business in Saudi Arabia, there is still plenty of room for British companies to establish themselves specially in health sector, construction and education.
“The number of British companies are more than Americans and Germans, which is interesting, as a decade ago, it was the other way around. It is different now and people are availing the opportunities, Saudi Arabia is the biggest market in the Gulf,” he said.
Saudi Arabia needs more publicity about the commercial opportunities for overseas. “I found it a very easy country to do business as lots of changes took place, I think the message is going through and now British businessmen have so much interest in Saudi market.
The views are changing, the businessmen of both sides are trying to develop the economies of both countries,” he said. James also said that Britain wants Saudi businessmen to come and invest in the UK. In construction there is a lot of room for them.
In real estate sector, especially in London, even banking is an open sector, new factories, infrastructure developing, industrial investment, he added.
The delegation had sets of different companies which covers a wide range of products and services including special care dentistry, exhaled breath and gas monitoring instruments, in vitro diagnostic testing, dry steam vapor cleaning technology, rehabilitation services, surgical instruments, hospital management services, auditing, consultancy, oral and skincare products and pharmaceuticals.
“Healthcare in Saudi Arabia continues to be a thriving sector with the government continuing to invest in health services for a population of 24 million, which is growing, so it is the largest market for medical equipment and healthcare products in the region,” said Dr. Paul Crawford, deputy head of healthcare and life science sector.
“It is an excellent market for UK companies to provide high quality innovative healthcare solutions. The Kingdom is a significant export market for the UK valued at 1.6 billion. It is Saudi Arabia’s 4th largest investor,” he said.
“UK exports to Saudi Arabia for January-May 2010 was £1,189,000,000 and the Saudi export of goods to UK was £367,000,000. The UK priority sectors for Saudi Arabia are oil and gas, power, construction, education, healthcare, airports, ports, railways, water and environment, security and defense and financial services,” said Greg Gibson, deputy consul general.
FOUZIA KHAN
Saudi Gazette