Saudis interested in investing in large public works projects criticise “lack of information”
The President of the Saudi-Arabia Business Council who led the delegation of 15 public decision-makers, company leaders and Saudi investors that had been in Lisbon last week, affirmed that companies in Saudi Arabia were “very interested in investing in large projects in Portugal”.
However, they have not received any information so far about the projects or how then can go about investing in them.
These projects include large public ones such as the TGV high-speed rail, port concessions, and the new Lisbon international airport.
In an interview with the business news source Negócios, Alwalid Albatan said the question had nothing to do with the speed of these processes, but rather the fact that “we have not received any information about investment opportunities.”
“We don’t have access to these projects and we don’t know how to access opportunities so that Saudi companies can compete.”
They also noted that there was no website in Portugal with all the information as the government has in Saudi Arabia that list all of the investment projects launched by the government, how to apply to invest, and the dates of applying as a candidate.
“In Portugal I don’t know how we can reach these opportunities”, he added.
“Many Saudi companies want to come and learn about the competitions and compete for project contracts and that the government should give access to the right investors,” Alwalid Albatan continued and if the Portuguese government did “we would certainly see many Saudi companies in Portugal”.
He also pointed out that there were many large opportunities in Saudi Arabia which was changing and had huge potential.
“This is the right moment for Portuguese investors to come. Perhaps in a few years time there will no longer be so much potential for them,” he warned.
SOURCE: Jornal de Notícias
Photo: CIP: President of the Industrial Confederation of Portugal (CIP) Armindo Monteiro (R) and CIP General Director, Rafael Alves da Rocha (L) with the President of the Saudi-Arabia Business Council, Alwalid Albaltan (centre).
