Council of Saudi Chambers Launches U.S. – Saudi CEO Summit in Riyadh

As part of the Council of Saudi Chambers’ (CSC) and U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s efforts to enhance bilateral cooperation, the two organizations launched today, January 24, the U.S.-Saudi CEO Summit, which took place at the CSC headquarters in Riyadh.

Leading officials and business people from Saudi Arabia and the U.S. attended the summit with the aim of exploring areas of economic cooperation between the two countries. CSC Chairperson Dr. Abdulrahman Al Zamil revealed that the U.S.-Saudi CEO Summit is a key tool for American and Saudi businesspersons as it offers them a platform to communicate, exchange information and make suggestions concerning private sector-related issues.

For his part, President and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Tom Donohue stated: “twenty five leading U.S. executives and business people flew in to Riyadh to attend this historic summit and meet with their Saudi counterpart. We aim to support the economic development plans of the Kingdom, which include diversification of economy and job creation, and enhance bilateral trade relations with our Saudi counterpart.”

The Summit’s agenda focused on an array of topics of high importance, including planning workforce productivity and education, supply chain development, business environment, and knowledge-based economy focused on healthcare. Participants of the Summit will reconvene in 2016 in Washington, D.C., which will become a once-a-year meeting starting 2017. The Summit will rotate between Washington D.C. and Riyadh.

Mr. Donohue added: “There are opportunities for competitive US firms to transfer their technology and knowledge into the Saudi market and create partnerships with leading Saudi firms. We gather in this meeting to work together on addressing challenges and finding solutions concerning economic policies in our countries.”

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business organization, representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions. Our members range from mom-and-pop shops and local chambers to leading industry associations and large corporations. They all share one thing—they count on the Chamber to be their voice in Washington, D.C.

The Council of Saudi Chambers (CSC) is the official federation in Saudi Arabia, representing 28 Chambers of Commerce, as well as institutions of the private sector. It plays a main role in forming policies related to the private sector alongside government institutions, Bureau of Experts, Council of Minister, and other ministerial committees. CSC additionally has 37 national committees, which work closely with concerned bodies to address issues of related sectors. It also has 36 Saudi-foreign business councils, which have an effective role in enhancing the Kingdom’s economic relations with other countries. Moreover, CSC has several centers and specialized units, including the Barcode Center, SMEs Center, Family Businesses Center, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Committee of International Trade (CIT), among other bodies.