The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Abdullah Bin Ahmad Zainal, says that the Kingdom will never use economic tactics that unfairly protect Saudi industries or jeopardize the international markets. He made the announcement in his speech to the 14th session of the General Conference of the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO ) here Wednesday. Zainal insisted that the Kingdom would strengthen the private sector as the core part of its strategic development plan. “The support to this vital sector is seen in the development of infrastructure and the provision of finances to help it to implement its projects.” “We are also aiding the entry of products to regional and international markets by ensuring adequate circumstances, rules and procedures,” he said. The minister told the delegates the Kingdom is upgrading its competitiveness by improving product quality and reducing production costs. “By expanding the economic base, developing revenue sources and transferring technology, we can increase efficiency which will build a strong economy that can deal with the ever changing global economic circumstances,” he said, highlighting the Kingdom's ambitious development projects and economic policies to build a stronger economy with a diverse production base. “These policies were meant to strengthen the status of the Kingdom as the largest economy in the Middle East,” the minister said. He said that by joining the World Trade Organization (WTO), the Kingdom is looking forward to economic benefits such as easy access to international markets and increasing internal investment.
