Press Release No. EBB-97-2019
Jeddah PCG holds 1St Philippines-Saudi Arabia Business Partners
Appreciation Night
(Jeddah, 4 November 2019) – On October 31, the Philippine Consulate General in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia held the 1st Philippines-Saudi Arabia Business Partners Appreciation Night in celebration of 50 years of Philippines-Saudi Arabia Diplomatic Relations.
The event, which was held at the Consulate Grounds, featured a Fashion Show entitled, “Abaya X Habi.” The fashion show showcased the beauty of Philippine fabrics and textiles and the creativity of Jeddah-based fashion designers who melded Filipiniana fabrics and the abaya in their fabulous creations. A week-long Photography Exhibit entitled, “A Fusion of Cultures” was simultaneously held to celebrate Philippine-Saudi Arabia inter-cultural identity.
Consulate dependents modelling the Filipinized abaya
Consulate personnel modelling the Filipinized abaya
Guests from the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Philippine product importers/distributors, chain of supermarkets/retailers, Filipino restaurants, cargo forwarders, remittance service providers/banks, franchisees, Philippine schools, and recruitment agencies graced the occasion.
Some of the guests during the event
Consul General Badajos awards a Certificate of Appreciation to one
of the Saudi business partners who attended the event
In his inspirational remarks, Consul General Edgar B. Badajos said that “although oil remains as the chief feature of Philippines and Saudi Arabia trade relations, trade ties between the two countries have since diversified and it continues to move from strength to strength.”
Consul General Badajos added that “the Philippines is keen on expanding the variety of its export products to the Kingdom to include non-food items such as beauty and personal care products, garments, home decors and ornaments, and handicrafts, among others and with the diversification of Saudi economy, the Philippines sees many avenues and opportunities where our two countries can further collaborate, such as the tourism and entertainment industry, especially during this time when Saudi Arabia is trying to increase its income from non-oil revenue sources and support its programs that support structural change in line with Saudi Vision 2030.”
The Philippines and Saudi Arabia formally established their diplomatic ties on 24 October 1969 with the Philippines opening a Mission in Jeddah on 23 December 1973 and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia opening an Embassy in Manila the following year. In July 1985, the Philippine Embassy transferred to Riyadh following a Royal Decree which required all diplomatic missions in the Kingdom to move to Riyadh.
Over the course of 50 years, bilateral ties between the Philippines and Saudi Arabia have grown tremendously, covering a wide range of areas from political-security to economic and socio-cultural relations.
Attache Sheela Canete with some of the Consulate’s dependents
who modelled in the Creative Filipiniana Design Category
(END)
