SAUDI ARABIA: France offers to help Saudi Arabia develop alternative energy sources

Record ID: 189291

  • Title: SAUDI ARABIA: France offers to help Saudi Arabia develop alternative energy sources
  • Date: 30th December 2013
  • Summary: RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA (DECEMBER 30, 2013) (REUTERS) **CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY** FRENCH PRESIDENT FRANCOIS HOLLANDE SHAKING HANDS WITH SAUDI BUSINESSMEN AT COUNCIL OF SAUDI CHAMBERS LOGO OF 'COUNCIL OF SAUDI CHAMBERS' (Arabic and English) VARIOUS OF SAUDI-FRENCH BUSINESS MEN DISCUSSING CO-OPERATION AND AGREEMENTS (SOUNDBITE) (English) FRENCH PRESIDENT FRANCOIS HOLLANDE, SPEAKING TO SAUDI BUSINESS MEN SAYING: ``As a sector you have a great programme of building hospitals and you have, we have experience on this field, to do the best and to avoid the worst, we have also experience in urban development, transportation and you have great projects, subway, railway, rapid train, very rapid train. So on this field we have a great success in the world." BUSINESSMEN CLAPPING HANDS FOR HOLLANDE (SOUNDBITE) (English) MUHAMMAD AL-JASSER ,SAUDI MINISTER OF ECONOMY AND PLANNING, SPEAKING TO FRENCH BUSINESSMEN SAYING: ``Small and medium scale mature companies in France, as well as the large companies, should think of having a second home - and no better place than Saudi Arabia to find as a second home for your companies." HOLLANDE AND AL-JASSER SHAKING HANDS SAUDI ROYAL GUARD STAND BY AT ARRIVAL OF HOLLANDE FOR A SPEECH HOLLANDE ARRIVES TO THE FRENCH-SAUDI BUSINESS FORUM HALL AT COUNCIL OF SAUDI CHAMBERS VARIOUS OF BANNERS READING ENGLISH (FRENCH-SAUDI BUSINESS FORUM) WIDE OF FORUM VARIOUS OF HOLLANDE AND SAUDI MINISTER OF ECONOMY AND PLANNING SEATED PRESENTER CALLING ON HOLLANDE TO GIVE A SPEECH HOLLANDE WALKING TO PODIUM VARIOUS OF FORUM (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT FRANCOIS HOLLANDE,SPEAKING TO SAUDI-FRENCH BUSINESS MEN AND MEDIA AT THE FORUM, SAYING: "Exchanges between us haven't ceased. Today they represent 8 billion euros. That's a lot, that's not enough. Its a lot because, in 10 years, it has doubled; its a lot because, in 2013, many contracts will have been signed; and yet, I feel we can do more." PEOPLE LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (French) FRENCH PRESIDENT FRANCOIS HOLLANDE,SPEAKING TO SAUDI-FRENCH BUSINESS MEN AND MEDIA AT THE FORUM, SAYING "You are a great oil nation but you are thinking about the long term future, the very long term. That means you want to develop other energy sources besides petrol and gas. And it is in that sense that all renewable energies can be an area of excellence and there, we can provide the experience of French enterprise. And then there is nuclear energy with which the King intends to engage the country and there too, we are willing to accompany you. We have done it with great countries, such as China, where France has been engaged in cooperation for 30 years and so we can do it, if Saudi Arabia chooses it, with the Kingdom" PEOPLE LISTENING HOLLANDE AT PODIUM AUDIENCE CLAPPING HOLLANDE LEAVING STAGE VARIOUS OF COUNCIL OF SAUDI CHAMBERS HEADQUARTERS IN RIYADH.
  • Embargoed: 14th January 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Saudi Arabia
  • Country: Saudi Arabia
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVA2LX4E497BIQVR7C5W9YQV5MXR
  • Story Text: French President Francois Hollande met Saudi business leaders in Riyadh on Monday (December 30) a day after talks on escalating tensions in the Middle East that focussed on Lebanon and Syria.
    But the two-day visit was also aimed at boosting trade ties with the Kingdom whose Minister of Economy and Planning, Muhammad al-Jasser, joined Hollande in addressing businessmen from both countries.
    Hollande was flanked by four of his ministers and 30 French business leaders.
    In his speech Hollande said he believed there was plenty of room for even deeper ties between the two countries.
    In an interview with the al-Hayat newspaper Hollande described Saudi Arabia as a top client in the Middle East with trade standing at around 8 billion euros (11 billion US dollars). French exports to the Kingdom are worth around 3 billion euros (4.1 billion US dollars).

    "Exchanges between us haven't ceased. Today they represent 8 billion euros (11 billion US dollars). That's a lot, that's not enough. Its a lot because, in 10 years, it has doubled; its a lot because, in 2013, many contracts will have been signed; and yet, I feel we can do more," Hollande said.
    He also offered to help the oil-rich Kingdom develop renewable and nuclear energy as it plans for the time when its petrol resources dry out.

    "You are a great oil nation but you are thinking about the long term future, the very long term. That means you want to develop other energy sources besides petrol and gas. And it is in that sense that all renewable energies can be an area of excellence and there, we can provide the experience of French enterprise. And then there is nuclear energy with which the King intends to engage the country and there too, we are willing to accompany you. We have done it with great countries, such as China, where France has been engaged in cooperation for 30 years and so we can do it, if Saudi Arabia chooses it, with the Kingdom," Hollande said.
    Also on Monday, Beirut said Saudi Arabia would give the Lebanese army 3 billion US dollars in aid in the largest grant ever offered to the country's armed forces.
    Lebanon's President Michel Suleiman said some of the money is likely to be spent on weapons from France.
    The Sunni Muslim kingdom of Saudi Arabia may be seeking to bolster the army as a counterbalance to Hezbollah, seen as the most effective and powerful armed group in Lebanon and funded by the regional Shi'ite power Iran.
    Hollande said after meeting King Abdullah on Sunday that France would supply weapons to the Lebanese army if it was asked to do so.
    Lebanon's armed forces have been struggling to deal with violence spreading over the border from Syria's civil war.
    The country, which is still rebuilding after its own 15-year civil war, has seen clashes between gunmen loyal to opposing sides of the Syrian conflict, as well as militant attacks on the army itself.
    Rising regional Sunni-Shi'ite tensions have been stoked by the fight in neighbouring Syria, which generally pits the country's majority Sunni Muslim rebels against President Bashar al-Assad's minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2013. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register