US agricultural delegation explores new avenues of trade in Saudi Arabia
Arab News
07 October 2010


RIYADH: A visiting trade team from the US had indicated immense interest on Wednesday to import dates and its byproducts on a large scale from the Kingdom.

"We are interested in importing dates and its byproducts from a cooperative body comprising date producers," David Callahan, vice president for business development at the US-Saudi Arabian Business Council, told Arab News Wednesday.

Callahan, who was leading a team of 11 businessmen from the US agricultural sector, was at a luncheon hosted by the council's Riyadh branch at the Equestrian Club.

US Ambassador James B. Smith, Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry chairman Abdul Rahman Al-Jeraisy and leading businessmen were present at the function.

"This is going to be a new venture where we would like to market Saudi dates in the United States," Callahan said, pointing out that he was insisting on an umbrella organization since his country could get the best variety of dates that could be easily marketable. Describing it as the first ever agricultural trade delegation to the Kingdom, Callahan said that the aim was to fulfill Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah's strategic agricultural initiatives focused on food safety.

"We are also looking for a long term contract with the Kingdom for the export of wheat from the US," he said, pointing out that while Saudi Arabia is reducing domestic wheat cultivation to save on water, demand is still growing.

Callahan also said that there are plenty of opportunities in the Kingdom with regard to exporting foodstuffs and agricultural products since Saudi Arabia's population has been increasing.

Al-Jeraisy, who is also director of the Saudi-US Business Council, said that the two countries have enjoyed excellent trade relations for more than 80 years.

"Such an exchange of trade delegations between the two countries will help concerned parties identify new areas of cooperation that would be of mutual interest," Al-Jeraisy said

"The interest by the United States in importing dates is being shown at a time when a group of Saudi companies in the Kingdom is planning to set up a multi-billion riyal factory to produce dates and manufacture its byproducts."

He added that juice, organic drinks, essence and syrups could be produced from dates.

He said that the final stages of the date plant were being worked out and it will soon be installed by a group of Riyadh-based companies.

Last year, US exports to the Kingdom were valued at $10.8 billion, while its imports from Saudi Arabia, mainly oil were worth around $30 billion.

The Kingdom's estimated imports of foodstuffs from the US were worth around $700 million last year.

According to official figures released by the US embassy in Riyadh, the export of foodstuffs from the US had increased by 29 percent during the first half of 2010, compared to the same period last year.

By MD RASOOLDEEN

© Arab News 2010

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