Lumagda ang Philippine business delegation ng mga kasunduan sa pamumuhunan na nagkakahalaga ng $4.26 bilyon (₱ 241.95 bilyon) kasama ang mga business leaders ng Saudi Arabia. Ito ay naganap sa sideline ng pagdalo ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. sa Association of Southeast Asian Nations-Gulf Cooperation Council (ASEAN-GCC) Summit.
Ayon sa Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) na ang Saudi’s Al Rushaid Petroleum Investment Company at Samsung Engineering NEC Co. Ltd. ay pumirma ng deal sa Philippines’ EEI Corp. para sa construction export services na nagkakahalaga ng $120 milyon (₱ 6.81 bilyon).
Iniulat din ng DTI na ang Al-Jeer Human Resources Company-ARCO ng Saudi ay pumirma ng isang kasunduan sa Association of Philippine Licensed Agencies para sa Kingdom of Saudi Arabia para sa mga serbisyo ng human resource na nagkakahalaga ng $3.7 bilyon (₱ 210.10 bilyon).
Samantala, nilagdaan din ng Maharah Human Resources Company ng Saudi ang isang investment agreement na nagkakahalaga ng $191 milyon (₱ 10.85 bilyon) bawat isa sa Philippines’ Staffhouse International Resources Corporation at E-GMP International Corporation para sa human resource services.
Sinabi ni Marcos, makikinabang sa mga agreement ang mahigit 15,000 Pilipino sa pagsasanay at oportunidad sa trabaho, lalo na sa construction industry.
“So, as we take part in the ASEAN-GCC Summit, currently being hosted by the Kingdom, we continue to reaffirm our readiness for deeper economic partnerships not just within the Southeast Asian region but as well as with our extended neighbors here in the Gulf,” saad pa ni Marcos.
“We hope that the Philippines will be your chosen gateway to the ASEAN and Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership economies, which was earlier spoken about. And on that note, I hope that the Saudi business leaders present here today will further make it happen in the Philippines,” dagdag pa ni Marcos.