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Christopher Dobson

Ties between the countries have progressed since 1990, and both sides are keen to develop them further

THERE IS A traditional saying in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia that a 'paradise without people is no paradise'. That adage best sums up Hong Kong's most precious resource, according to Saudi Arabian Consul-General Alaudeen Alaskary.

In a year that has seen progress on  many fronts between the kingdom and China, including Hong Kong, Mr Alaskary said he believed it was the residents of Hong Kong that made it a paradise for Saudi Arabians.

'Since establishing my consulate, I have found the people of Hong Kong are its major success,' Mr Alaskary said. 'They strive for success, they are honest and they welcome you here. They are the most friendly people, and if I am successful here it is because of the people.

'The major reason for the success of the recent royal family visits was how generous the people were in welcoming the king and the crown prince.'

For Mr Alaskary, being successful means developing business, trade, education and tourism ties between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia, which is what he has been striving to do since opening his country's mission here three years ago.

'Hong Kong is special because it is an international city with basic Chinese culture,' Mr Alaskary said. 'It has been my plan since opening the consulate to strengthen the economic, tourism and cultural ties between these two areas.'

A successful businessman in his own right, Mr Alaskary  aims   to turn Hong Kong into a trading hub with Saudi Arabia, along similar lines to Dubai's role as an entry point into the kingdom.

'In Saudi Arabia we think of Hong Kong as part of China and the gateway to China,' Mr Alaskary said,  adding that some key companies were already based here while more were expected to follow.

'All the negotiations for work in China are done in Hong Kong,' he said. 'In the future I would like to see no limit but the sky to develop business here and improve it. More Saudi companies are coming here and doing business, and more Hong Kong people are going to Saudi and doing business there.'

One of the most prominent of these  firms is oil giant Saudi Aramco which established its main office in Hong Kong as a base from which to operate in the mainland.

Aramco recently negotiated a multibillion US dollar refinery deal in China, part of a joint venture with Sinopec and ExxonMobil, while other multimillion-dollar oil-based projects are already under way.

Sino-Saudi relations have progressed steadily since the establishment of diplomatic ties in 1990, and both sides have been keen to develop these further.

It was only as recently as 2004 when the two countries agreed to hold regular political consultations.   The agreement coincided with China's state oil company, Sinopec, signing a deal to explore gas in Saudi Arabia's vast Empty Quarter.

Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, is now China's largest trading partner in west Asia and North Africa. Trade volume between the two countries exceeded US$16billion last year, an increase of 56 per cent compared with the previous year.

The mainland is now Saudi Arabia's fourth-largest import partner and fifth-largest export partner while Saudi Arabia is China's tenth-largest import partner and biggest oil supplier.

These developments have been good news for Hong Kong and coincide with the long-term charm offensive by Mr Alaskary and his colleagues.

And it is not just oil-related industries that have benefited from continually improving ties. Major companies from other sectors have established offices in Hong Kong over recent years, including Sabic (Saudi Basic Industries Corp), Sagia (Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority) and Saudi Arabian Airlines.

The consul-general would like SAR businessmen to use Sagia, the kingdom's foreign investment body, to establish themselves in Saudi Arabia.

There have been a series of VIP delegations from Saudi Arabia this year, confirming that Hong Kong is on the agenda of the highest officials in the kingdom.

The first, and most significant, was that of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King

Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz  Al-Saud in January.

'The biggest event that took place between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia was the visit of the king. Although it was a private visit, he flew here after going to Beijing and then to India because of the economic, trade, cultural and tourism importance of Hong Kong,' Mr Alaskary said.

'We are seeking long-term agreements with China and, in Hong Kong, [are] working closely with all the chambers of commerce. And we are talking about doing it in both directions, between Saudi Arabia and Hong Kong and between Hong Kong and Saudi Arabia.'

It was King Abdullah's first trip outside the Middle East since taking the throne in August last year, and the first official visit by a Saudi ruler to the mainland since diplomatic relations were established.

It resulted in the two sides signing a protocol on bilateral co-operation covering petroleum, natural gas and minerals, and other economic and trade agreements.

As a further indication of how important the SAR is viewed, King Abdullah brought with him a delegation of 360 people on nine separate flights.

'Since then this office has not relaxed. It has been a combination of tourism and business inquiries. The number of Saudis in Hong Kong has increased by 45 per cent from January to July,' the consul-general said.

'It is growing quickly because both countries have realised the benefits of doing business with each other. We are building solid common ground and I use the word solid because these foundations will last a long time.'

After the king's visit, the first Saudi businesswomen's delegation came to Hong Kong in early March and then  Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz  Al-Saud, the deputy premier and  defence and aviation minister, arrived in April with 160 people on three royal flights.

Before the  prince's trip, Saudi Arabian Airlines only flew to Hong Kong via Manila once a week. Mr Alaskary said the airline now had one direct flight a week and planned to increase this to three a week.

As more Saudi tourists arrived, Mr Alaskary said they were always impressed with how clean and safe the city was.

'All Saudis notice this straight away. When you come into an environment like that business is easy. And that is what the Saudis like, they like to feel relaxed and do business.'

But Mr Alaskary said he did  not want to rely just on business, trade and tourism links to develop Hong Kong-Saudi relations.

'We are in the process of starting scholarships here for Saudi students, undergraduates and postgraduates, to come to the Far East, including Hong Kong. A delegation will come to Hong Kong to discuss this with the universities next year to finalise arrangements.'

And with Mr Alaskary's continuing quest to push Hong Kong's merits to his countrymen, it seems that the city may become known as more than just a shopping paradise.



Refining Sino-Saudi relations