A 28-member delegation of Saudi businessmen headed by Chairman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ismail Abu Dawood has arrived in Buenos Aires to boost commercial contacts between Saudi Arabia and Argentina and to increase private sector exports to the region.  This was the last leg of a Latin American tour that included Brazil, Uruguay and Venezuela.  Trade between Saudi Arabia and Latin America is of low intensity, according to a JCCI official, and the Kingdom’s private sector intends to balance that equation.  Saudi-made goods are already popular in the region, and with membership in the World Trade Organization (WTO) almost certain, Saudi businessmen have actively begun to lay emphasis on export to international markets.  Saudi products can compete in the Latin American market both in quality and price.

The delegation’s visit to Argentina follows the foundation-stone ceremony, held last Friday, for the King Fahd Islamic Cultural Center in Buenos Aires.  In view of an unexpected health problem faced by Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Fahd, in his place the stone was laid by Saudi Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance, Dr. Abdullah Bin Abdulmohsen Al-Turki.  In his speech on the occasion, Dr. Al-Turki stated:  “In Islam, there is no difference between Arabs and non-Arabs, or between black and white, except in terms of piety.  Islam is the religion of God for all humanity.  Just as Islamic civilization in the past promoted cooperation with other civilizations, today humanity needs to benefit from this.  The message of Islam focuses on tolerance, compassion, and helping others, and on abstinence from violence.”

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