The Australian Arab Business Network had hosted on 1 July 2009 an academic delegation from the University of King Fahd in Saudi Arabia.  The delegation was led by Dr Yaser Ahmed M Fallatah and eleven Engineering students.

One of the delegation’s key goals is to understand the connection between higher education, including engineering and science based research laboratories, and the linkage to manufacturing/construction workplace sector of society.  Student wanted to see in practice how manufacturing is applied in Australia

 During their first day in Australia, the delegation visited two worksites.  One operated by Southern Cross Rigging and Construction, owned and run by the Merhi brothers and the other is Elephant’s Foot, manufacturers of waste compactors owned and run by Eddy Saidy.  They had also an opportunity to see the construction of two building sites with steel foundations, the first such projects in Australia, also run by Merhi Constructions. 

During a luncheon with the Network Board at the Summerland restaurant in Bankstown, Network President, Mr  Radwan Hamdan, welcomed the delegation and briefed them on the activities of the Network and its plan of action.  The delegation exchanged views with the Board on means to increase cooperation between Australia and the Kingdom, through cultural, educational and investment means.  Also present at the lunch was Dr Khalil Hamad of the Saudi Cultural Mission in Sydney.

The Network and delegation agreed that such visits help to bridge ties between Australian and Saudi Arabia in particular and the Arab World in general.