Saudi Arabia joins Arab trade zone

Saudi Minister of Finance Ibrahim Al-Asaf, said Saudi Arabia's participation in the Arab free trade zone will contribute to increasing its rates of trade with member countries and will urge the public sector to assume an essential role in production and export operations as well as benefiting from the wide Arab market.

Al-Asaf discussed with the assistant secretary-general of the Arab League for economic affairs, Abdul al-Rahman al-Sahibani, the AL's efforts to free Arab trade and find a united minimum limit for protecting Arab products through a united customs rate.

Al-Sahibani said, "The free trade zone comprises a group of countries that work on removing fees and customs obstacles as well as tax redundancy while maintaining (for each country) its special fees and its independence toward the rest of countries which are outside the zone."