The head of a German business delegation has proposed joint ventures with Saudi companies to tackle the much-needed waste management problem in the Kingdom. Gerd Doptor, who heads the German Commissariat of Commerce and Industry, said that much money could be made from sewage and water recycling projects. Doptor said he had recently discussed the proposal with Mazen Baterji, the Vice Chairman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI). He said that waste is an environmental hazard and could spread disease. “We are offering our services to the Saudi private sector, to benefit from our experience in environmental projects, including sewage, recycling and others. We hope to find partners to implement such important projects,” the German Commissariat of Commerce and Industry said. Baterji said he welcomed these “attractive ideas and important investment opportunities”. This proposal will be on the table in future discussions with Saudi investors, he said. The JCCI official said there was mutual agreement to expand business relations between the two countries. There are currently 120 Saudi-German joint ventures, worth a total of more than SR13.4 billion, said Baterji.
