Juan Ameen
Education, tourism, health and investment are the four main areas of collaboration identified by the Saudi Arabian parliamentary delegation during a three-day visit which was described as highly productive, meaningful and a breakthrough visit.
Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, Jason Azzopardi, said that the delegation had more than 10 meetings during the past two days with President Eddie Fenech Adami, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, Opposition Leader Alfred Sant, Finance Parliamentary Secretary Tonio Fenech, Health Minister Louis Deguara, Education Minister Louis Galea and university rector Juanito Camilleri among others.
Dr Azzopardi explained that the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Saudi Arabian delegation identified four main areas of cooperation and collaboration: health, education, investment and tourism.
He said that the delegation was positively impressed when they were taken round Mater Dei Hospital and discussed, with Dr Deguara, the possibility of sending patients to Malta.
“During discussions with Dr Galea, the delegation also agreed that there was huge scope for collaboration where education was concerned and proposed to start sending Saudi students to the University of Malta,” said Dr Azzopardi.
The delegation also stated that there was huge room for collaboration in tourism and that they would recommend Malta as a tourist destination – especially since they were impressed by the warmth of the Maltese.
Dr Azzopardi also explained that the delegation held a meeting with the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA) and parliamentary secretary Tonio Fenech.
He said that Malta was bridging the gap between the EU and the Arab world and that the Maltese government recognised and appreciated the efforts by King Abdullah in the peace process in the Middle East.
Committee member Leo Brincat said that, during the meeting with Dr Sant, the delegation discussed the possibility of setting up a Gulf Mediterranean Business Forum and that Malta becomes the Malta Regional Centre of Islamic Finance.
“These two issues have been officially included in the Malta Labour Party’s vision statement and we will continue pushing this subject,” he said.
Mr Brincat also mentioned the possibility of collaborating with the recently inaugurated King Abdullah University of Science and Technology that has an endowment of $10 billion.
The chairman of the Saudi delegation, Sadakah Yahii Fadil expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the visit and said that it was very fruitful.
“We identified many areas of collaboration between the two countries and we would like to activate the general agreement on mutual collaboration that was signed last year,” he said.