GERMANY can help the Kingdom in areas like renewable energy, industry and vocational training, according to German Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Boris Ruge. "We are already talking to our Saudi friends in the area of renewable energy," Ruge, who is leaving the Kingdom to take up a new assignment, told Saudi Gazette. He said the Kingdom has an enormous potential in solar and wind energy. Germany has huge experience in that area, and it has spent a lot of money to move to a very high percentage of renewables as part of its energy mix. "We have a real knowledge that we can bring here. We are talking to the key players in the Kingdom." Ruge said the Kingdom as part of Vision 2030 is looking to develop its industrial base. "This is where we can play a major role. So we offer traditional industrial manufacturing with the add-on of increasing digitization because that's how we work in the future," he said. Vision 2030 Ruge called Vision 2030 a "very important document." "All of us are part of a globalized economy. All of us are subject to competition. Therefore, none of us can rest on what we have. We have to develop to become better. So a country like the Kingdom does need a vision to achieve objectives toward which it can work. We welcome this. "We underlined the areas where we can support and where we can be helpful. Renewable energy is one area in which we see a role. Developing industry is a more general area." He said Vision 2030 gives much importance to culture. "We hope that the Kingdom will allow Germany to open cultural institutes in Riyadh and Jeddah that would teach not just the German language but would provide window on German culture." Vocational training need of the hour The German ambassador said that one area that is very important in the Kingdom given its demography is education and vocational training. "We have a very strong tradition in the area of vocational training. We have been active in vocational training in the Kingdom for many decades. Youth unemployment in Germany is among the lowest in the world. One of the reasons for that is that we have vocational training which is based for the most part in companies." Ruge revealed that Siemens — the largest engineering company in Europe headquartered in Berlin and Munich — is working with Saudi Aramco, General Electric and Sabic to set up a National Power Academy in the Kingdom to train young people. He said that his country is involved in vocational training in a technical college in Yanbu for many years. Germany is the leading actor in the technical trainers college in Riyadh. It is working with Saudi Aramco on the National Industry Technology in the Eastern Province. Bilateral ties growing in leaps and bounds The German ambassador, who is also special envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), said Germany has formal relationship with the Kingdom since 1929. "The relationship has grown. Traditionally Germany does not have such a major role in the Middle East. So our relationship to a large extent has been about business and technology and to some extent culture. "We have developed and gone beyond that. Trade is developing very nicely. Our trade is something around 11 billion euros per year. We have investments of German companies in the Kingdom. "Siemens is building gas turbines in the Eastern Province. The first gas turbines have been built for power plants in Jazan. They are building the stuff here. So transfer of technology is happening. They are training young Saudis in Germany and the US. These young Saudis are coming back and they are top notch in industrial management." German visit Ruge announced the scheduled visits to Germany by Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Naif, deputy premier and minister of interior; and Deputy Crown Prince Muhammad Bin Salman, second deputy premier and minister of defense, by the end of this year. "We are working on these visits which will take place at the invitation of Chancellor Angela Merkel," he said, adding that Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman is also scheduled to hold talks with Merkel in March on the sidelines of the G20 summit in China. Saudi tourists The German ambassador said the number of Saudis visiting Germany has gone up very significantly. "Over the past five-six years we have seen a tripling in the number of Saudis getting visas from us. Last year we reached the highest figure so far with more than 60,000 visas being issued here in Saudi Arabia by our consulate in Jeddah and embassy in Riyadh. We are issuing long-term visas," he said, assuring that visa procedure is very smooth. "Saudis have to give their fingerprints once which will be in the system for five years. So you don't have to show up in person at the visa provider office. You only have to do it once and you are looked after. "We welcome the Saudi decision to issue 10-year validity passports. Under the Schengen rules we can issue visas for only up to three months before the expiration of the passport. For 10-year validity passport we will issue five-year multiple entry visa to those Saudis who have traveled to Germany several times. However, we won't give five-year visa for the first time to a young person." He said that there are 1,300 Saudis studying in Germany. Refugee issue Talking about the refugee crisis, Ruge said that Germany along with Sweden in the EU took a very difficult decision to accept a large number of refugees. "We stand by this decision. We think it is a matter of humanity, but clearly it creates major challenges. "There is a political dimension also. Across Europe there are populist parties now that are manipulating people's concerns and fears about refugees. We must not give them any space to develop this idea. The refugee crisis has helped some of the movements and extremists," he admitted, mentioning the case of the far-right German AfD party. However, defending the decision to allow refugees, Ruge said, "If we had not accepted them, there might have been a chain reaction beginning with Greece that would have been overburden and left alone with a huge number of refugees." "It's a challenge that we are determined to tackle. Kingdom has done much for refugees Praising the Saudi efforts to help refugees, the German ambassador said that the Kingdom has taken a very large number of refugees from Syria and Yemen. He said that people have been integrated into society. They don't have refugee status because the Kingdom like other GCC countries is not a signatory to the refugee convention. Refugees are treated quite generously here. They don't have to live in camps. This is something that deserves recognition. Brexit On Brexit and German views on the referendum, Ruge said that his country does not want Britain out of the EU. "Our profile is very similar to that of Britain. It is a strong economy and a strong country. It is a country which we really desperately wanted to keep inside the EU. We regret the referendum but respect its result."
