The vastly improved relations between Holland on one hand and Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries on the other was demonstrated last week when a 1.5 billion Guilders (over $600 million) contract was signed in Bahrain for the construction of a 25-kilometer long dam and causeway by a Dutch firm.
The firm, Ballast Nedam, won the contract over 15 other competing countries, including the U.S., West Germany and Japan. The reinforced concrete dam, which will link Bahrain with Saudi Arabia, was ordered by Bahrain but is being paid for by the Saudis. Both nations, and most other Arab nations had severed relations with Holland in 1973 because of its alleged sympathy for Israel in the Yom Kippur War.
The project will be carried out by a joint Saudi-Dutch venture, Badar Ballast. The Dutch firm, Ballast Nedam, will receive a $400 million advance payment from the Saudis for the dam.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
