The German-Saudi Arabian Liaison Office for Economic Affairs (GESALO) is a member of the worldwide German Chamber Network with 130 locations in 90 countries. Since its foundation in 1978, it has been following the mission to support and extend the bilateral economic relations between Germany and its partner countries of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Yemen. German as well as Saudi companies have benefited greatly from GESALO’s service portfolio. Due to its extensive network of local companies and based on nearly 40 years of market experience, GESALO is a reliable partner for German companies in Saudi Arabia and for Saudi Arabian companies which want to enter the German market.
The key strength of GESALO is its network, which allows creating synergies and providing valuable information for businesses. Within Germany, GESALO is closely connected to all 79 Chambers of Industry and Commerce (IHKs), which have a long tradition in supporting German companies locally and serving as their partner when extending their business relations to foreign countries. “Many companies lack the relevant local information and business contacts. Here, GESALO can help to lay the foundation for successful and sustainable bilateral business relations”, says Oliver Oehms, Delegate of German Industry and Commerce for Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Yemen.
In Saudi Arabia, GESALO works closely with many stakeholders from the public as well as private sector. For instance, it regularly organizes the German Business Circle meetings in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, in which overarching topics are discussed and relevant information for the bilateral trade relations are exchanged. Moreover, GESALO has close relations to its Saudi Arabian counterparts, namely the Council of Saudi Chambers, the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Asharqia Chamber of Commerce & Industry, just to name a few.
Under the brand “DEinternational” GESALO provides services to German and Saudi Arabian companies to support their foreign business activities. The portfolio includes market information, contacts to local businesses, organization of business trips, trade fair marketing and participation, business mediation, visa and translation services, as well as local representation, if no branch or production plant has been opened yet.
In the past weeks, for instance, GESALO fostered a dialogue between German and Saudi Arabian companies in selected industries. On Oct 2 & 3, GESALO held a workshop on environmental problems regarding wastewater and water desalination. Many different stakeholders from academia and the private and public sector interactively discussed specific problems and solutions. From Oct. 10 to 12, GESALO organized a German business delegation from the renewable energy sector to the Eastern Province. Across three days, several German companies met local businesses to identify possible future collaborations. Toward the end of November a German delegation from the manufacturing systems engineering industry will visit key stakeholders of the Saudi Arabian petrochemical sector.
“GESALO is proud that it has served numerous companies and business people over the last decades”, says Oliver Oehms. He confirms that German companies are and will be reliable partners for Saudi Arabia in the years to come: “GESALO is fully committed to offer its global network and resources to facilitate mutually beneficial trade relations between Germany and Saudi Arabia.” — SG
