COUNTRY FOCUS

BUILDING EDUCATIONAL LINKS

HANS HAENLEIN, professor of architecture at the University of Reading, has an architectural practice in London that specialises in construction education. He went on his fi rst trade mission to Saudi Arabia last January. Following meetings arranged by British Expertise and UK Trade & Investment, he has been asked to review courses in architecture, design, engineering and construction at the universities of Dammam and Effat, in Jeddah. “My visit was extremely successful because of the range of people I was able to meet,” says Haenlein. “These projects are very interesting for me. I am intending to return soon and hope to set up a collaboration to include the University of Westminster and University College London.” haenlein.com

Sea coast. “British architects, planning specialists and consulting engineers are world leaders in their fi elds and held in high esteem in the Middle East,” says James. “Many have offi ces in the Gulf, mainly in the Emirates, but increasingly in Saudi Arabia as the scale of work there becomes more evident.”

SUITABLE MATCH

He continues: “Saudi Arabia is a better option for more experienced exporters. If you meet with sudden success you have to be sure you have the capacity to fulfi l demands, as well as the necessary fi nancial resources and skilled personnel. “All of the Saudi businesspeople who I have met have been incredibly Anglophile and speak excellent English. Getting around town is straightforward and the hotels are of a good international standard.” With Saudi budgets increasing year on

DESIGNING THE FUTURE

ENGINEERING AND DESIGN consultancy Atkins has been delivering projects in Saudi Arabia since the 1970s, but in 2011 was commercially registered in partnership with leading architect Mohamed Harasani, licensing it to offer a range of services. Its work includes transport infrastructure projects such as the Mecca Metro, building design for the Riyadh Tower, master planning for the Oasis City and engineering design for a proposed minerals industrial city at Ras Al-Khair.

Ben Thompson, head of communications, Middle East, says: “We have been working in Saudi Arabia for many years so we understand the market well. Nevertheless, UK Trade & Investment and the British Embassy have been very supportive. We held a launch reception at the British Consulate in Jeddah and look forward to hosting another event in the near future in Riyadh. We maintain regular dialogue with our local UK Trade & Investment staff and they are very responsive to our needs.” atkins-me.com

year, there are signifi cant opportunities for UK companies to team up with Saudi Arabian partners or form a consortium, which are the best ways to access the market initially. Accordingly to UK Trade & Investment, there are around 200 UK/ Saudi joint ventures, with an estimated collective worth of some £20bn. “An increasing trend is for British companies to set up local subsidiaries in Saudi Arabia as Atkins and Carillion have recently done,” adds Chris Innes-Hopkins. “Saudi Arabia is not a market which can be serviced effectively from a distance or from a regional base in the Gulf. A local base and workforce helps to show long- term commitment to the market. “There are several ways in which UK

Trade & Investment can help. We have an ongoing dialogue with the Saudi authorities about the sort of business environment that can help UK companies operate here. We also help companies as they approach this market to understand the political, economic and trading environment.” ■

FIND OUT MORE TO LEARN more about Saudi Arabia,

contact Helen Tanner on 020 7215 4788 or email helen.tanner@ukti.gsi.gov.uk

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