By Maria Cometti
Germany is known as the land of ideas. It has given the world so much when it comes to education, science, research, and development. It gave the world its printing press, cars, and MP3 technology and so much more. Apart from innovative inventions, it is also the birthplace of scientists and poets, of musicians and storytellers. Science and art, history and modernity all meet in Germany.
Germany and Saudi Arabia have enjoyed very good relations over the years. The Kingdom is a key partner to Germany both politically and economically. The bilateral trade amounts to 11 billion euros per year. German companies with their high technological competence are willing to participate in the implementation of the Saudi Vision 2030.
The Vision 2030 offers excellent opportunities for an enhanced economic partnership. The embassy is planning to promote the use and development of renewable energies in the Kingdom to support respective goals in the Saudi Vision 2030. It has a lot of experience to share in this field from their Energy Transition which enables Germany to produce about 30% of its electricity from renewable sources by now.
Last year, Germany was the host country to Saudi Arabia’s biggest cultural and heritage event, the Janadriyah Festival. It was a big success with over 400,000 spectators visiting the German Pavilion in the festival grounds. Being given the opportunity to become the host country was a testimony of the excellent state of the two countries’ cultural relations. Knowing more of each other and sharing historic and current cultural experiences is a source of mutual enrichment.
The embassy also regularly organizes movie nights and other cultural events on its premises. It would like to increase the cultural exchange between the two countries by staging more cultural events and workshops like the recent Saudi Arts and Skills Institute and thus further contributing to mutual understanding.
Apart from the visa and consular services that the Geman Embassy offers on a daily basis, they also offer German language courses through the Goethe Institute, the German Cultural Institute. It has recently opened a modern facility in Umm Al Hammam near the Diplomatic Quarter to meet quickly increasing demand for German language courses. German is taught to both women and men at all levels, from beginners to advanced, and internationally recognized exams can be taken at the institute.
GESALO, Germany’s Chamber of Commerce is also offering various services for German businessmen and companies, ranging from answering questions about Saudi Arabia and mediation in case of legal problems to the organization of visits of businessmen and business delegations to the Kingdom.
There is something so romantic yet so modern in Germany’s scenery. It is loved for its breathtaking river valleys and vineyards that seemingly leapt out of books and novels. Their gastronomic delights lure in tourists from all over the world. And Saudi Arabia and its people are no exception. Many Saudis travel to Germany both for tourism and business. The German Embassy in Riyadh has one for the biggest visa sections among German embassies worldwide and it issues around 60,000 visas per year, not including the 14,000 visas issued by the Consulate General in Jeddah.
The German Embassy staff recommends these places to visit and activities to do when in Germany:
Must-Visit Places
- Berlin, the vibrant capital with its passionate history
- Neuschwanstein, the world-famous romantic castle in the Bavarian Alps
- Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the brand-new, most spectacular concert house in the world
- Munich, the venue to Oktoberfest, a longstanding tradition of gastronomical feat
- Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg, the world’s biggest model railroad layout
Must-Do Activities
- Visit a car brand museum (pick from Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, etc.).
- Dance a night away at Berghain, the world’s most famoues disco in Berlin.
- Take a walk in the mudflats of the Wadden Sea on the German North Sea Coast.
- Visit a medieval festival.
- Attend a big rock festival such as Rock Am Ring.
