Saudi Arabia is keen on more investments from British entrepreneurs. The Kingdom is making great economic progress and has taken significant steps towards preserving a stable, competitive economy that has an effective role in the global economy, Prince Mohammad Bin Nawaf Bin Abdul Aziz, Ambassador to the United Kingdom, said here. Britain remains among the largest foreign investors in Saudi Arabia, while Saudi exports to Britain are expected to reach a record high in the coming years. During the past 20 years, the two countries have enjoyed an exceptionally strong trading relationship. Saudi Arabia is one of Britain's largest trade and investment partners in the Mideast, with Britain among the largest foreign investors in KSA. There are currently more than 150 Saudi-British joint ventures active in the Kingdom, whose total value is around SR56 billion ($15 billion). Efforts are on to acquaint more British businessmen with investment opportunities in the Kingdom, the ambassador told a group of Saudi journalists at the embassy here last week. The ambassador said Custodian of the Two Holy Mosque's program for Foreign Scholarships is being evaluated to determine the problems facing students in Britain and Ireland. He suggested that Saudi students should undergo English learning courses before going to foreign countries. Responding to a question about problems faced by Saudi students in the UK, Prince Mohammed said the embassy was in close coordination with relevant authorities to resolve the issues. “The earlier limited number of Saudi students in UK was suddenly increased to 8,000, which, if escorts are added, can be a lot more. Taking it into consideration, minor problems – mostly resulting from cultural gaps, lack of knowledge of the UK system or lack of English – occur. The embassy is acquainted with all these problems,” he said. The ambassador said the embassy holds a weekly meeting with students and Saudi nationals after Friday prayer aimed at recognizing their problems. – Okaz __
