Dubai: The Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry recently hosted a meeting between the National Committee for Transportation at the Council of Saudi Chambers and Dubai Land Transport business group.
The meeting discussed the interests of both parties in land transport and ways to develop channels of cooperation between Dubai and Saudi Arabia.
The Saudi delegation, headed by Abdul Rahman Al Otaishan, Chairman of the National Committee for Transportation, was received by Atiq Naseeb, Executive Director of the Membership and Documentation Services Department at the Dubai Chamber and the delegates of the Dubai Land Transport group, headed by chairman Khaled Abdullah, .
The parties agreed to establish means to encourage investments between Saudi Arabia and Dubai in land transport and activate cooperation in light of the observations of the meeting parties.
The Dubai Land Transport group presented an array of problems facing the sector, some of which include the lack of an authority to protect the interests of the sector as in all other transport sectors, and the absconding of truck drivers, which results in great losses to the concerned parties.
The parties discussed the development of passenger transport and the initiatives that can be adopted to strengthen cooperation as well as the importance of establishing a modern international bus station that provides all the essential facilities and services for passengers in addition to building a bus depot that provides its services at nominal cost.
The meeting came at a time when the Al Ghuwaifat border crossing between Saudi Arabia and the UAE was witnessing queues of trucks, an issue that was resolved recently, and the parties stressed the need to strengthen cooperation between them and find solutions to any future problems.
Naseeb expressed the commitment of the Dubai Chamber to enhance commercial cooperation between Dubai and Saudi Arabia.
Naseeb valued the contribution of the Council of Saudi Chambers in facilitating the meeting of its members with its counterparts in Dubai, pointing out that the Dubai Chamber looks forward to strengthening relations with the Council of Saudi Chambers.
The Executive Director of the Membership and Documentation Services Department at the Dubai Chamber highlighted the role of the Dubai Chamber in representing, supporting and protecting the interests of the business community in Dubai by creating a favourable business environment, supporting the development of business and promoting Dubai as an international business hub.
Saudi Arabia was the leading export and re-export destination for Dubai's goods during the fourth quarter of 2008 with total exports reaching Dh29.6 billion, an increase of 140.7 per cent.
