Opportunity Arabia 7 Conference
SPECIAL SECTION
Opportunity Arabia 7 Conference – Middle East Association
This conference was held on Thursday 23 September 2010 – 1 Great George Street, London
‘Opportunity Arabia 7′ examined manufacturing and investment opportunities, and the value to British companies of entering joint ventures and local partnerships with Saudi companies.
The UK is the second largest foreign investor in Saudi Arabia and in 2009 the value of visible UK exports to Saudi Arabia was £2.6bn. The Saudi economy has weathered the recent global downturn well, and recent reforms have encouraged rapid private sector development. Infrastructure projects worth $80billion are currently planned or underway.
- Introduction by Michael Thomas, Director General, The Middle East Association (Link here)
- Chairman’s welcome by Sir Alan Munro KCMG (Link here)
- Keynote address by Rt Hon Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean, Co-Chair, Saudi-British Joint Business Council (Link here)
Speakers:
- Dr Florence Eid, CEO, Arabia Monitor (“The New Face of Saudi Arabia”)(Link here);
- Mr. Jason Peers, UKTI Financial Services Special Representative (Saudi Arabia)(“Financial Services: Opportunities for UK/Saudi Partnerships“)(Link here);
- Mr. Marios Maratheftis, Head of Research, MEPA, Standard Chartered Bank (“Beyond Oil: Diversification and Demographics“);
- Engr Abdullah Abdulgader, Director Project Management and Engineering (“Update from Ma’aden: Opportunities in the Mining Sector“);
- Mr. Wael Allan, ME Regional Managing Director, Hyder Consulting (“Hyder’s Experience in the KSA“);
- Mr. Mike Tunstall, Marketing Manager, EES Vessel Heads (“Jubail Focus – Setting up and Running an ‘SME’“);
- Mr Paul Williams, Head of UK Trade 7 Investment in Saudi Arabia (“UKTI in Saudi Arabia and the new Economic Cities“);
- Mr Edward Ogilvie, Chairman of Jedda British Business Group (“Meet the People – Then Do the Business! An Introduction to Living and Working in Saudi Arabia“);
- Mr. Tony Smith, Senior Executive, British Offset Office (“The Role of the British Offset Office in Saudi Arabia“).
The seminar addressed the following topics:
- The Saudi Economy & The New Economic Cities
- The Rapidly Expanding Saudi Mining Industry
- A Case Study by Kier Group on Mining Industry
- A Case Study by Hyder on Water Management
- Empowering Saudi Women and Educating Saudi Youth
- The Role and Importance of the British Business Groups in Saudi Arabia
- What UK Trade & Investment can do to Help British Exporters
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Business Overview
The Middle East Association again warmly welcomes all delegates to the seventh in this series of ‘Opportunity Arabia’. The worst of the global economic crisis has now passed and Saudi Arabia has shrugged off a relatively low level of economic hardship.
There has been little reduction in the pace of infrastructure and project work taking place in the Kingdom. King Abdullah has just announced investment plans of $385 bn for the next (9th) 5 year development plan. Any company seeking to do business there, either in products or services, should be aware of the 3Vo population growth in Saudi Arabia, along with an inadequate civil infrastructure, and the consequent demographic pressures, which are the key drivers behind the Kingdom’s modernisation and expansion.
The King continues on the path of social, cultural and economic reform and has been instrumental in the country’s acceptance as a member of the G20. Oil continues to dominate the Saudi economy, but petrochemicals, mining and a growing light to medium industry sector are increasing their share of GDP significantly. Oil prices have for the moment stablilised around US$75; Saudi Arabia continues to play an important and responsible role as the swing producer in OPEC.
OA 7 has a powerful line-up of expert speakers on Saudi Arabia who will inform delegates of the pace and scope of Saudi modernisation and the limitless range of business opportunities across the board. A number of them are senior British businessmen who are living and working in Saudi Arabia and have a wealth of practical experience on doing business there.
There are a growing number of ‘blue chip’ British companies working in the Kingdom now in law, mining, the railway sector, water, engineering and so on; and plenty of room for more.
Delegates will also have the opportunity, not to be missed, to network during the break-out periods with speakers; and our’roving experts’will be mingling and available to answer any questions. The Director of UKTI Services in Saudi Arabia, Paul Williams, leaves his post at the beginning of the New Year and his successor, Chris Innes-Hopkins, will be anxious to make himself known to as many seminar delegates as possible during the day.
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About the Middle East Association
The Middle East Association (MEA) is the UK’s premier organization for promoting trade and good relations with the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey and Iran. The MEA is an independent and non-profit making association founded in 1961 and based in London. It represents some 400 large and small companies from all business and industry sectors who together account for an estimated 70% of UK trade with the region. The Patron of the Association is HRH The Duke of York, UK Special Representative for International Trade and Investment.
Saudi Arabia is a key market for the Association. “Opportunity Arabia 7″ is the seventh in the MEA’s series of annual conferences on Saudi Arabia. The Association also takes two trade missions a year to the Kindom.
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