6 March 2006
The Minister of Trade and Industry Mandisi Mpahlwa will visit Saudi Arabia,
Oman and Qatar from 9 to 15 March 2006. It will be Minister Mpahlwa's third
visit to the Middle East. Last year he led trade and business delegations to
the United Arab Emirates, Palestine, Kuwait, Yemen, Bahrain and Israel. The
visits are part of South Africa's efforts to attract investors from the region
to the country and to open up markets for the South African investors.
In Saudi Arabia, Minister Mpahlwa, who will be accompanied by the Deputy
Minister of Foreign Affairs Aziz Pahad, will co-host the second meeting of the
South Africa-Saudi Arabia Joint Economic Commission. He will also be
accompanied by a group of 30 South African business people who represent
different sectors, including capital equipment, construction, manufacturing,
infrastructure development and the Chambers of Commerce and Industry South
Africa (Chamsa).
The purpose of the mission is to identify projects for South African
companies in the Maa'den project. The South African government has involved all
relevant export councils for this purpose and established with a group called
the South African Arabian Gulf Group.
Minister Mpahlwa will be hosting an investment seminar in Qatar where he
will also hold talks with other ministers and pay a courtesy visit to the Emir
of the State of Qatar. The strategic purpose of the seminar is to get Qatari
investments into South Africa.
In the Sultanate of Oman the minister will hold meetings with his
counterparts from the Ministry of Economy, Foreign Trade, Defence and Foreign
Affairs. The Minister will also sign two enabling agreements between the
Sultanate of Oman and the Republic of South Africa. These will be trade and
investment promotion, and the protection agreement.
Customer Contact Centre: 0861 843 384
Enquiries:
Bongani Lukhele
Tel: (012) 394-1643
Cell: 083 291 8689
E-mail: blukhele@thedti.gov.za
Donavan Jacobs
Tel: (012) 394 1641
Cell: 082 751 1078
E-mail: DJacobs@thedti.gov.za
Issued by: Department of Trade and Industry
6 March 2006
