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Saturday, July 14, 2012
NATIONAL DAY SUPPLEMENT
Strategic partnership to be given fresh impetus Since 1996, France and Saudi Arabia are tied by a strategic partnership that reflects the importance of the relationship between the two countries. This privileged relationship established when King Faisal met with Gen. de Gaulle in 1967, has been active in various fields — political, military, security, economic and cultural. Further to the visit paid by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to Paris in June 2007, followed by the president of The Republic visit to Riyadh in January 2008, November 2008 and in October 2009, it has been decided, at the highest levels, to give a new impetus to our strategic partnership, aimed
at being global and focused on transfer of competence. Major cooperation agreements were signed in 2008, which are now being implemented in the sectors of education, security, political counseling and energy. A close cooperation is maintained on major political matters of the region where our positions widely converge, particularly being firm toward Iran and Syria, supporting Lebanon's independence, promoting a fair peace process between Palestine and Israel and assisting the stabilization of Egypt. We particularly value Saudi efforts and contributions to the Middle East stability and its successful mediation with the CCG regard-
ing a peaceful transition in Yemen. Saudi Arabia is a major ally in our common fight against international terrorism and we also share in this regard the promotion of dialogue between religions and civilizations, launched by King Abdullah. On economy, we also praise the Kingdom’s wise policy in the petroleum sector particularly in the context of rising prices of energy in 2011. Many of our firms actively participate in development projects. In the last three years, our exports to the Kingdom doubled. Furthermore, we are proud of the sizable contracts signed by French firms in water treatment, electricity and transport sectors. Our firms are also active in
hotel, food and luxury industries. We welcome the strengthening, this year, of the cooperation between Airbus and Saudi Arabian Airlines. Cooperation between Saudia and Air
France has also been boosted. Saudi Arabia’s potential, its massive development program and its diversification strategy, offer a promising outlook for France in the coming years. We have signed this year a cooperation agreement in the civil nuclear sector, which will open a new avenue in our strategic partnership. Saudi Arabia is our second commercial partner in the Middle East. Seventy French companies are active in the Kingdom giving jobs to 20,000 employees. France is the third largest foreign investor in Saudi Arabia with more than $ 15 billion invested in the Saudi economy. France and Saudi Arabia have also strengthened their military
and security cooperation with the doubling of joint military exercises in 2011 and with the increased frequencies of our trainee program for Saudi security officers in the field of counter-terrorism, along with our constant cooperation with the Prince Naif Arab University for Security sciences. In the field of cultural cooperation, the number of Saudi students studying in France went from less than 100 in 2007 to more than 1,200 this year. The French Accor group is setting up four training centers to train 12,000 young Saudis in the field of tourism and hostelry. France has strengthened its cooperation in archeology and museum with the
Kingdom. The French Embassy in Riyadh and the French Consulate General in Jeddah offer monthly cultural events that allow Saudi and French public to gather in sharing the different cultures of the world. In conclusion, we are determined to strengthen this strategic partnership in all areas for the mutual benefit of our friendly nations. This is the message that President Hollande conveyed to King Abdullah through Prince Miteb bin Abdullah when he was received in the Elysee Palace on June 12. Bertrand Besancenot French Ambassador to the Kingdom
Role is to boost bilateral ties
France’s agri exports have provided boost to the overall strength in bilateral growth.
Trade: Trends and challenges Riyadh: Arab News
Bilateral relations between Saudi Arabia and France can be described as outstanding. The last five years have been especially a rich and challenging time. France’s commitment is to keep working in that positive direction. In 2011, trade (imports and exports) between France and Saudi Arabia showed a very marked increase (17 percent) totaling 7,694 million euros compared to 6,586 million euros in 2010, despite a decline in value of French exports. The structure of French imports from Saudi Arabia is traditionally marked by
the preponderance of petroleum products and petrochemicals (98 percent, or 4,481 million euros in 2011). It is therefore logical that rising oil prices boosted the amount of imports to a record high in 2011 (4,556 million euros, or 65.4 percent increase compared to 2010). Saudi Arabia now ranks fourth in France’s suppliers of crude oil and covers 11.2 percent of French needs (against 6.7 percent in 2010). France’s exports went down by 21.2 percent in 2011 mainly due to decrease in sales of aircraft equipment. France’s exports "of aircraft and spacecraft" and
"pharmaceutical preparations" were alone 50 percent of French sales to Saudi Arabia in 2010. In 2011, the cumulative decline in sales reached 1,165 million euros. Other sectors, however, showed excellent performance and confirmed France’s strong position in growing business segments. Saudi Arabia is undergoing a period of sustainable economic development, and has, moreover, high government spending that support imports. Additionally, population growth is a dynamic engine of consumption. Many of France’s industries benefit from it. Continued on Page 17
Schneider Electric offers green solutions across varied segments Riyadh: Arab News
Present in Saudi Arabia for more than 30 years, Schneider Electric — a global specialist in energy management, has played an integral role in the development of the country’s energy infrastructure. With headquarters and two manufacturing plants based in Riyadh, Schneider Electric’s network encompasses nine branches and a strong distribution system that ensures delivery to each corner of the country. The company offers integrated green solutions across multiple market segments including energy and infrastructure, industrial processes, building automation systems, data centers and networks, for businesses as well as a broad range of products for residential applications. The energy management major is helping individuals and organizations optimize energy through breakthrough solutions to make businesses more productive and sustainable. The key infrastructure projects that Schneider Electric is developing include the ambitious Information Technology and Communication Complex (ITCC) in Riyadh, one of Schneider Electric’s largest and most important ongoing projects; King Saud University (KSU) Girls’ Campus electrical infrastructure solution, for which Schneider Electric received the Best Electricity Project of the Year Award at the Buildinfra Awards; Saudi Telecom Company (STC), Microsoft Innovation Centre (MIC) at Al Yamamah University, and the Arab National Bank (ANB) that saw Schneider Electric implement advanced mission critical data center solutions.
In addition to completing new commercial buildings in Makkah, Jubail and Riyadh, the French company plans to expand in the country with new manufacturing units, additional warehousing space, and fresh production localization programs. In line with its commitment to sustainable development, Schneider Electric leads Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) indices, for which it is globally recognized. Offering a role model, the company actively partners with local businesses on resolving energy efficiency issues and providing smart and green building solutions. Schneider Electric has
implemented several energy conservation and efficiency initiatives across its manufacturing plants, residential facilities and offices in Saudi Arabia. The global pioneer in energy management aims to significantly reduce carbon emissions in Saudi Arabia for tackling the country’s energy dilemma. Reiterating its leading role, the move comes on the back of Saudi Arabia registering the world’s highest energy consumption per capita, fastest population growth, and significant industrialization that translate into a seven to eight percent rise in energy demand. Furthermore, Schneider Electric is demonstrating its commitment to the ‘Saudization’ drive through actively engaging in the recruitment of Saudi graduates. Initiatives in this respect include participa-
tion at the national ‘Liqaat Employment Events’. Additionally, the company is aggressively building capacity of its Saudi workforce as part of an overarching objective to scale up its manpower by up to 30 percent. The registration of 624 new members to the Schneider Electric Energy University — more than any other GCC country, taking the total to 75,191 users worldwide, is yet another indicator of Schneider Electric’s growth in Saudi Arabia. Courses offered by Energy University are designed to provide anyone involved in decision-making, management, planning, design, or construction of a space impacted by energy with a level of expertise to address efficiency issues and apply safe, reliable and cost-effective measures. Schneider Electric also offers support for students through internship programs. Schneider Electric is also expressing further commitment to its core markets, through participation at a range of key summits, award ceremonies and symposiums including: The Kingdom Hotel Expansion Summit, Modern Makkah Summit, Solar Arabia Summit, and CIO Strategies Saudi Arabia Forum. Another key focus for Schneider Electric is the empowerment of female candidates, as the company looks to integrate more Saudi females into its ranks. As a part of this campaign, Schneider Electric has introduced a ‘Ladies’ Section’, operational since 2010, providing on-the-job and personal skills development training within a culture that encourages learning and development, and where knowledge is acquired and shared.
First of all, I am very happy and honored to have been appointed as General Consul of France in Jeddah with a consular district covering the western coast of the Kingdom, including the cities of Makkah and Madinah; in which 2,400 French citizens have their residence. For the French government, Jeddah is a major city in a major country — both at international and regional scale. Under the responsibility of the French Ambassador, I will dedicate my stay here to strengthen bilateral ties in all fields. We expect to boost mutual business investments in France and in this part of the Kingdom. There are also opportunities for stronger institutional cooperation regarding universities, research centers, and cultural coopera-
tion. We will also try to convince more young Saudi students to go to French universities. I am very confident since the links between our two countries have progressively deepened for almost eight decades. I am very impressed by the increasing number of Saudi citizens visiting France year after year. I visited Jeddah for a short
and delightful trip 25 years ago, and since then I have taken a close interest toward Saudi Arabia and its culture. I very much look forward to meeting 21st century’s Saudis, as I expect I have a lot to learn from them. My hope during my stay in Jeddah is to bring my own little nugget to the deeply entrenched friendship between Saudi Arabia and France. The importance the French government attaches to its Consulate General in Jeddah reflects the status of this fascinating town, where all national institutions still have strong branches. Our mission in Jeddah is also to provide support to the pilgrims coming from France for Haj or Umrah (45,000 persons last year). Jeddah and Makkah are also
the host towns of major international organizations that entail a specific role for the General Consul of France. The economic strength of Jeddah is of paramount importance in the region and also explains the scope of the French presence on the West coast of the country. Finally, the diplomatic presence of France in Jeddah, one of the first foreign countries to have opened a mission in this old and cosmopolitan city, remains very important to us since Jeddah represents a symbol between past and future, Asia, Africa and Mediterranean, as well as between tradition and modernism. Dr. Louis Blin General Consul of France in Jeddah