Third U.S.-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum
Held in Los Angeles a Resounding Success

The U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council (USSABC), in collaboration with the Committee for International Trade (CIT) and the Saudi U.S.-Trade Group (SUSTG), hosted the 3^rd U.S.-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum in Los Angeles, California on September 16-18, 2013.  The three-day event highlighted the U.S.-Saudi commercial relationship and featured Davos-style panels, keynote speakers, and concurrent breakout sessions, alongside numerous networking events and one-on-one matchmaking programs that enabled companies to connect and initiate new business relationships.  The Los Angeles Forum follows two successful gatherings in Chicago in 2010 and Atlanta in 2011 and was organized under the patronage of the Saudi Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the U.S. Department of Commerce together with support from California business organizations.  More...

For conference video and photos click here.
 

Kingdom Ranked 20^th in Global Competitiveness

Saudi Arabia’s economy ranked 20^th on the Global Competitiveness Index recently released as part of the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report for 2013-2014.  The ranking out of 144 countries, while falling slightly from the 2012-2013 position of 18^th, remains an improvement over the Kingdom’s 21^st position in 2010-2011.  The report attributes Saudi Arabia’s ranking to the country’s broad economic development initiatives which are bolstering the Kingdom’s markets and promoting increasingly sophisticated businesses. More...
 

Business Council Organizes Roundtable Discussion with Dhahran Consul General

On July 22, 2013, the U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council (USSABC) and its member companies held a roundtable discussion with Joey Hood, Consul General at the U.S. Consulate in Dhahran, Eastern Province. Hosted at the offices of USSABC member Honeywell, the meeting discussed the Saudi business landscape and the Kingdom’s socioeconomic developments and trends that affect U.S. companies. Mr. Hood emphasized that the Saudi Government implemented several important reforms in line with the overarching objectives of economic diversification and greater youth employment. More…
 

USSABC Conference Forges New Ties between
U.S., Saudi Auto Industries

On June 26, 2013, the U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council (USSABC) hosted a conference and luncheon in Birmingham, Michigan (outside of Detroit) introducing Saudi Arabia as a new automotive market hub. The conference drew a large delegation of key players in the Saudi market to the center of the global auto industry and established new business partnerships within an industry targeted for high growth in the Kingdom. Saudi Arabia is positioning itself as the new automotive production and distribution center for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region and beyond. More...
 

USSABC Leads Third Visit of
Prince Salman Youth Center to the U.S.

The U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council (USSABC) led the third visit of Saudi entrepreneurs from the Prince Salman Youth Center to the U.S. on June 16-23, 2013. The delegates visited Houston, Texas and Los Angeles, California to learn about their startup activity and entrepreneurship academic programs and visit incubators, renowned entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and angel investors in order to identify models of entrepreneurial support. The objectives of the Saudi delegates were to learn about entrepreneurial strategies that may be implemented in Saudi Arabia and discuss the possibility of partnering to create a presence in the Kingdom. More...
 

Saudi Arabia Shifts Weekend

Saudi Arabia will be switching its weekend to Friday-Saturday, from the existing Thursday-Friday schedule, in accordance with a recent royal decree. The shift will become effective June 29, 2013 and will apply to all government bodies and monetary agencies, including the Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency, the Capital Market Authority (CMA) and the Saudi Stock Exchange, or Tadawul. The weekend change will come into effect for schools and universities in the 2013-2014 academic year. More...
 

Saudi Arabia Spearheading Development of
Middle East Automotive Market

Traditionally known for its vast oil and gas reserves, Saudi Arabia is quickly establishing itself as the automotive hub of the Middle East. Broad government support, plentiful natural resources, and a pro-business environment are but a few reasons the Kingdom’s automotive sector is quickly becoming an international player. More...
 

USSABC Hosts Webinar on
U.S. Private Wealth Management

On May 13, 2013, the U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council (USSABC) hosted a webinar presented by Baker & McKenzie LLP, a global law firm. The presentation focused on wealth management and how to properly navigate U.S. income and estate tax laws, particularly as a U.S. citizen who lives abroad, a foreigner living in the U.S., or someone with dual citizenship. More...