Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation

MONDAY, JUNE 1, 2015 KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysia Services Exhibition (MSE), a programme initiated by Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), had once again proven to be a strategic platform for Malaysian service providers to showcase their capabilities to the world. This was embodied following the recent MSE held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on 11 till 14 May 2015 which resulted in sales worth RM778.66 million.

Held in conjunction with the Saudi Building and Interiors Exhibition 2015 (SBIE), MSE Jeddah saw a total of 18 Malaysian companies participated in the event. Sales recorded were from the services of architectural design, facility management services, safety & health training services, solar farm project, military scheme housing and highway projects as well as manufacturing and supplying of products such as gaskets, pipes, boilers, switches, sockets wiring accessories and ceramic tiles. The Malaysia Pavilion at MSE Jeddah 2015 was co-launched by Consul General of Malaysia in Jeddah, YBhg. Dato' Mohd Khalid Abbasi Abdul Razak and the Mayor of Jeddah, His Excellency Hani Abu Ras.

A total of 284 business meetings were pre-arranged by MATRADE during the event. In addition, business discussions and meetings were also held with companies of Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industries (JCCI) and Makkah Chamber of Commerce & Industries (MCCI). Close networking with these Chambers had established and renewed Malaysian companies' existing business relationship with their members, apart from obtaining first-hand information of business opportunities from the sources particularly in the major Saudi cities of Jeddah, Makkah, Riyadh, Madinah and in the Eastern Province.

Malaysian participants received 614 trade enquiries for their services during the 4-day exhibition. SBIE 2015 was reported to attract over 300 exhibitors from 11 countries including from Italy, France, Germany, Morocco, Turkey, Egypt and China but the Malaysia Pavilion was visited by mainly Saudi companies from major cities of the Kingdom namely Riyadh, Makkah, Madinah, Dammam and other Arab companies from around the region.

Total bilateral trade between Malaysia and Saudi Arabia for 2014 was valued at RM13.09 billion. Malaysia's major exports were valued at RM3.84 billion and major export items include electrical and electronic products, valued at RM696.2 million; machinery, appliances and parts (RM676.7 million); manufactures of metal (RM415.5 million); palm oil (RM346.1 million); and wood products (RM295.5 million). Malaysia's main imports from Saudi Arabia were crude petroleum, valued at RM4.53 billion, chemicals and chemical products (RM3.07 billion), petroleum products (RM1.35 billion) and manufactures of metal (RM0.19 billion).