JEDDAH, 13 May 2003 — Adel Muhammad Faqeeh, a prominent businessman in the city, has been elected chairman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, it was announced here yesterday.
Addressing the first meeting of the JCCI board after his election, Faqeeh said the chamber had an important role to play given the big challenges the business sector was about to encounter.
“The board has agreed to work together as a team for the chamber’s members and to promote the business sector in general,” he told reporters.
Faqeeh is chairman and member of the boards of a number of companies including Savola Group, Saudi Arabian Glass Company, Al-Jazeera Bank, Al-Marae and United Sugar Company. He holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from King Abdul Aziz University in Jeddah.
Faqeeh replaces Abdullah Zainal who was recently appointed state minister during a Cabinet reshuffle. He won eight votes in a secret ballot held by the board at JCCI headquarters here yesterday.
Ghassan Al-Suleiman, deputy chairman of the chamber, nominated Faqeeh to the post, and Faqeeh said the election was held “in a brotherly atmosphere marked by frankness and transparency.”
Dr. Adel Bushnak and Dr. Muhammad Al-Mutlaq supervised the secret ballot, a JCCI press statement said. Ibrahim Al-Jomaih, another candidate, won seven votes, it added.
The election result surprised many as they expected either Al-Suleiman or Al-Jomaih would win the post.
Al-Jomaih welcomed the new chairman and promised he would give him every support so the chamber could work effectively toward its goals.
“Al-Suleiman has promised to continue his efforts in the interests of the business sector,” Faqeeh told reporters. “The achievements of the chamber are the result of the cooperation of all its members,” he said.
Al-Suleiman highlighted JCCI’s efforts to defend the businessmen accused by US agents of links with terrorist organizations.
“The chamber made several contacts with US authorities in this respect, but our efforts were in vain,” Al-Suleiman told reporters.
Al-Jomaih also said that a number of meetings had been held to enhance cooperation between Russia and the Gulf Cooperation Council states.
Abdullah Ridwan, a member of the board, said it was to be hoped that Saudi companies would have a hand in the postwar reconstruction of Iraq. The contractors committee at the chamber was in touch with the American group entrusted with the task of reconstruction, he added.
