Guest articles

What an incredible turn out and knowledge share at yesterday’s Doing Business in Saudi Arabia Business Briefing! With the support of Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts Madinat Conference Centre, we welcomed 125 delegates (a wait list of 30+*) An audience size and seniority level that even exceeded the successful 2019 business briefing on Doing Business in Saudi Arabia, which we have been looking forward to revisiting for quite some time but were interrupted with a global pandemic and travel restrictions!

Thanks to our sponsors AEI Saudi and Pagero and to those that have travelled to attend namely, Kabir Rahman Chief Operating Officer and Head of Trade at British Embassy Riyadh, Andrew Coy Chairman of the RGBB - Riyadh Group of British Business and Chris Innes-Hopkins, Executive Director of the Saudi British Joint Business Council (SBJBC) and those representing the British Chamber of Commerce Abu Dhabi

We were honoured that Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for the Middle East Simon Penney introduced the event, following a welcome from BBG Chair John Martin St.Valery OBE

HMTC Simon Penney expressed great opportunities for British expertise and presence and the strong regional willingness to engage with already “significant evidence of British people employed across all sectors” and how the audience was “fortunate to be based in Dubai” as a great advantage point for exploring Saudi Arabia.

Working closely with our partners and reaching out to members we curated this country focus business briefing to bring the audience as much information as possible on the current landscape of doing business in Saudi Arabia. Expert panelists Alex Pavel, Pagero; Catherine Workman, Pinsent Masons; Mickey Stewart MBE, AEI Saudi and Kabir Rahman, British Embassy Riyadh shared practical advice, legal expertise and real live examples of “doing business in the region”. The panel session was moderated by Chris Innes-Hopkins who was able to guide the discussion and audience Q&A with his own great knowledge and enthusiasm for the Kingdom.

Thanks also to Lizzie Daniell of AEI Saudi who shared her experience of working as an expat woman in business and gave many examples of how visible women are in leadership positions in the Kingdom "Female CEOs, women in the military and security forces, influencers, ambassadors and women are front and centre in the service industry. They have always been academically enabled, but what we are seeing now is the opportunity and the want to be empowered".

(*We don’t like to disappoint so do please keep an eye on our events listings and register at your earliest convenience to ensure your place throughout our events calendar.)