President McAleese addresses economic forum in Saudi Arabia

President Mary McAleese is on the second day of her visit to Saudi Arabia.

In her speech to the Jeddah Economic Forum this morning, she recalled Ireland's own growth and traced the relationship between the two countries.

The economic forum in Jeddah is one of the most important gatherings of world leaders in the Middle East.

This year's forum, called 'Seeding Potentials for Economic Growth', gave the President an opportunity to highlight Ireland's own growth, and also to develop relations between the two countries.

She spent much of her speech focusing on an inclusive approach to the economy, warning how economic success and social inclusiveness are inextricably linked.

Noting how there are more than 1,50 0 Irish people in Saudi Arabia, she said both countries can learn a lot from one another.