AHK Saudi Arabia promoting strong bilateral business growth

The German Industry and Commerce for Saudi Arabia and Yemen (AHK Saudi Arabia) is 35 years old and is growing strong.
Over the years, it has evolved into a popular and effective agency in establishing good business and economic relations between Germany and other countries all over the world.
With 125 locations around the world, the German Chamber of Network (AHK) offers its experience, connections and services regarding market access, technology transfer, and know-how and investments.
The network is closely connected to the chambers of commerce and industry, representing a total of 3.6 million companies in Germany. With a staff of 20 permanent employees, AHK Saudi Arabia supports Saudi and German companies with various services that include market access, technology transfer, know-how and investments.
Backed by the German ministry of economy and technology and charged by DIHK, AHK Saudi Arabia is the official representative of the German business in Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
It offers business partner search, matchmaking, business conferences, and B2B meetings; quick market checks and studies, and address researches; trade fair representation and support, providing legal information, mediation and debt collection, publications and visa support.
AHK Saudi Arabia was founded by a royal decree on Aug. 22, 1978, and since October 2010, Andreas Hergenroether has been the delegate of German Industry and Commerce in Saudi Arabia and Yemen.
In December 2010, the first Saudi Arabian Desk in Germany was set up at the Chamber of Industry and Commerce at East Westphalia in Bielefeld, serving as an information platform about business opportunities in Saudi Arabia.
During the last few years, AHK Saudi Arabia has been organizing and supporting various high-ranking business delegations from Germany to Saudi Arabia and vice versa, business conferences and B2B meetings as well as trade fair participations.
Key events were the Saudi German Business Forum during the visit of the German Vice-Chancellor and Minister of Economy and Technology Philipp Roesler, the infrastructure business roundtable during the visit of German Transport and Urbanism Minister Peter Ramsauer as well as the Saudi German Business Forum during the visit of Commerce and Industry Minister Tawfiq Al-Rabiah at the world’s leading industrial fair in Hanover.
In September 2013, AHK Saudi Arabia launched an internship program to place Saudi students studying at German universities in German companies in Saudi Arabia.
For this purpose, a survey was conducted and sent to German companies in the Kingdom inquiring about the possibility of employing Saudi students as interns.
In collaboration with the cultural department of the Saudi Embassy in Germany, AHK Saudi Arabia organized an event on Sept. 10 at the Chamber of Commerce in Hanover to promote this initiative.
Hergenroether met over 50 students to discuss internships and job opportunities in German companies in the Kingdom.
The students came from all over Germany to Hanover.
“We have set up this first internship program for Saudi students studying in Germany in order to support them to identify job opportunities in German companies in Saudi Arabia. German companies are very committed to the Saudization policy and would like to play an active role in the current process. A survey among German Companies in the Kingdom conducted by our office in Riyadh showed that more than 90 percent are keen to participate in the program offering internships to Saudi Students,” Hergenroether said.
The event was a great success and internships at German companies in Saudi Arabia are currently offered in various areas such as mechanical, electrical and chemical engineering as well as finance, IT, business administration and medical studies.