France will showcase its technologies and business capabilities that meet the current development projects of the Kingdom in a catalog show that is jointly organized by the Asharqia Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Commercial Section, Embassy of France in Riyadh. The one-day exhibition on Monday at the Businessmen Hall of the Asharqia Chamber will cover energy, industry, infrastructure, contracting, transport, environment, building materials, and technology. About 50 leading companies will participate in the catalog show. Economic relations between Saudi Arabia and France are growing stronger every year with Saudi imports increasing four times and exports tripling between 1990-2008, according to Bank Al Saudi Al Fransi. French foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Kingdom also increased five-fold during the same period with investments in energy and infrastructure leading the various sectors. France is expected to invest more in the development of the civilian nuclear energy program of Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency statistics show that the Kingdom imported SR15.24 billion worth of merchandize from France in 2008, making that country its eighth largest trading partner. France's imports from the Kingdom, mainly crude oil, amounted to SR18.6 billion in 2008.
