French Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Bertrand Besancenot said that there are 80 French companies operating in the Kingdom with 30,000 employees, of which 10,000 are Saudis.
It is the highest level of Saudization of a work force among foreign companies operating in the Kingdom.
According to the head of economic department at the embassy, Philip Gassmann, the Saudi-French Business Opportunities Forum will be held next month. It will provide a “great opportunity” to promote the trade exchange between Saudi Arabia and France.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, Besancenot said France is working to strengthen cooperation between both countries’ private sectors, facilitate exchange visits involving trade delegations, and organize joint exhibitions.
He called on businessmen to seize the opportunity to offer investment opportunities that support the economies of both countries. French companies operating in the Kingdom understand the importance of employing young Saudis and the need to exchange expertise in various fields. The ambassador pointed to the importance of agreements and partnerships that are expected to be formed at this year’s forum.
He said Saudi-French relations have considerable depth, especially during the past three years that witnessed four visits by French President François Hollande to Saudi Arabia. The common views shared by the two countries have contributed to strengthening of these relations, especially with regard to issues on Syria, Yemen and Daesh, he said.
He said he was “optimistic” that a positive outcome would come from the forum, which will gather top officials, investors, business leaders, researchers and academics from both countries. Key officials from France include Prime Minister Manuel Valls, Minister of Defense Jean-Yves Ledrian, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development Laurent Fabius and Minister of Economy and Industry Emmanuel Macron. Negotiations and discussions are currently underway to reach many deals and partnerships, said Besancenot.
Discussing the key areas that the French side will focus on in the forum, he said: “This year we are targeting export development, organization of more international exhibitions and markets, and increasing the competitiveness of small-, medium-size and emerging enterprises.
President of the Saudi-French Business Council Mohamed bin Laden unveiled many career opportunities for young Saudi and scholarship delegates at French companies operating in the Kingdom. He called on them to access the forum website so that they could register their details and CVs.
