Kenya and Saudi Arabia Deepen Energy Ties

Saudi Arabia is one of the leading oil exporters to Kenya and seemingly unconcerned about recent oil finds there.

Regarding the oil discoveries and their potential impact on Kenyan imports of Saudi oil Saudi Arabian ambassador Ghorm Said Malhan remarked, "No, I don't think it will affect (our ties) as such because we don't see our partnership only in the oil business. There are other different ways to co-operate. Saudi Arabia can export industrial chemicals and equipment to Kenya as well. As for Saudi Arabia, we also have a lot of investments in Kenya in tourism, banking, and petroleum projects. Now we are talking about livestock and fisheries. If you go back to history, we have good historic ties with the people of the coast in East Africa in general. There are a lot of people in that part who have originated from the Arabian Peninsula. This is some form of cultural relation with Kenya that has been going on for years."

Saudi Arabia is one of Kenya’s development partners and it has funded several projects through the Saudi Fund for Development at a total cost of about $140 million, Nairobi’s Daily Nation newspaper reported.

By. Joao Peixe, Deputy Editor OilPrice.com