As the Arab British Chamber of Commerce (ABCC) leading preparations to host its upcoming Arab British Economic Summit 2019 (ABES 2019) event, ABCC CEO Bandar Ali Reda highlighted the importance of union and communication among trade and industry communities in the UK and the Arab world.
Reda, in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, clarified that the summit will highlight the subjects most relevant to UK and Arab business and offer an exceptional opportunity to network with people from all sectors.
Summit attendees and speakers include British and Arab business leaders, corporate affairs and public policy professionals.
The ABCC chief also emphasized the great UK interest shown in the Saudi national transformation plan, dubbed Kingdom Vision 2030. He explained that the ABCC is active in serving this interest by organizing and hosting several occasions to present investment opportunities in partnership with Saudi officials.
On that note, Bandar revealed that another high-level event will be held at the ABCC headquarters next week.
The summit will provide insights into key topics through panel discussions, keynote speakers and by providing opportunities for discussion with other attendees. It will showcase the broad range of projects emerging and under development within the Arab world and the huge scope for British involvement and offer invaluable opportunities for investors, exporters, experts, consultants and providers of services to engage in dialogue with project leaders and decision makers.
When asked about ABCC’s organizational contribution to Vision 2030, Bandar said the chamber has managed bringing Saudi officials and British parties together for several forums, workshops and meetings.
“The Kingdom is considered the UK’s no.1 economic partner in the Middle East,” he said, underscoring British interest in “entering strategic partnerships with Saudi Arabia since Vision 2030 was announced.”
“The ABCC has hosted many occasions and high-profile personalities, the most prominent being Saudi Trade and Investment Minister Majid Al-Qasabi. A roundtable meeting was held in the presence of major UK companies to review the framework of Vision 2030,” Bandar added.
As for investment-encouraging conferences, Bandar said: “We recently organized many events that support Vision 2030. They included the organization of an open discussion meeting on investment opportunities in Saudi Arabia in partnership with the Saudi General Investment Authority (SAGIA).”
That meeting, according to the ABCC chief, was attended by a trade delegation from the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, a semi-government organization that regulates and serves the business community in Makkah, which is home to one of Islam’s holiest sites and a top destination for Muslim pilgrims worldwide.
“We look forward to further cooperation and are ready to keep up with this ambitious vision to achieve its objectives,” Bandar noted.
“These meetings and events invite British decision makers, entrepreneurs and investors interested in investing in Saudi Arabia to acquaint them with available opportunities in the Kingdom.”
