GOOD CHOICE: Saleh Kamil

JEDDAH: Saleh Kamil, a prominent businessman and one of the founders of Islamic banking, has been nominated to become the new chairman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), Al-Eqtisadiah business daily reported on Friday quoting high-level sources.

The report also said that Majed Al-Qasabi and Lama Suleiman are likely to become the new JCCI vice chairpersons, but some sources indicated that Abdullah Binmahfouz and Mazen Batterjee, the current vice chairmen, would continue in their positions.

The nomination of Kamil, who is chairman of the Islamic Chamber of Commerce and Industry, an affiliate of the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), comes on the recommendation of the Jeddah business community to make use of his longstanding expertise and high-level contacts.

Kamil will be one of six persons to be appointed by the ministry to the JCCI board in addition to the 12 elected members: Essam Nas, Ziyad Al-Bassam, Muhammad Khoja, Bassam Akhdar, Abdullah Dahlan, Zuhair Al-Marhoumi, Saleem Al-Harbi, Lama Suleiman, Abdullah Binmahfouz, Mazen Batterjee, Ahmed Al-Marbae and Abdul Khaliq Saeed. The new board will take charge on Nov. 5.

Commerce and Industry Minister Abdullah Zainal Alireza will announce the ministry’s appointees on Saturday.

Saudi businesswomen expect the new board will include at least two women. Lama Suleiman was the only woman elected to the board in polls conducted last week.

Speaking about Kamil’s nomination, an informed source said the business community in Jeddah wanted a prominent personality to chair the board to enhance the JCCI’s position as the largest chamber in the Kingdom. The community hopes that a veteran businessman of Kamil’s stature would be able to strengthen the chamber by containing differences and avoiding the centralization of decision-making.

Apart from his current position as chairman of the board of directors of Dallah Group, Kamil is a member on the boards of several commercial, financial and industrial companies.

Other five members to be appointed by the ministry are likely from the following businessmen and women: Majed Al-Qasabi, Moussa Al-Amran, Nashwa Taher, Ulfat Qabbani, Fawaz Al-Alami, Hani Saab, Emad Al-Muhaideb and Saifullah Sharbatly.