JEDDAH, 14 September 2005 — The Ninth International Business Forum will be held in Jeddah on Oct. 2, officials at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) announced yesterday. The topic for the forum according to Dr. Ghassan Ahmed Al-Sulaiman, chairman of JCCI is “Intra-OIC Trade: Challenges and Opportunities.”
Prince Abdul Majeed, governor of the Makkah Region, is patron of the forum. He will formally open the forum on Oct. 2 at 9 pm; however, the actual proceedings begin on that morning. The forum is expected to attract hundreds of the most influential Muslim businessmen from around the world. “It will provide opportunities for leading business figures and top-ranking policymakers to network and to stimulate trade, investment and cooperation among OIC member countries,”Al-Sulaiman said.
“The idea behind the forum is to create a global business network that will help identify and address mutual trade and investment issues and recommend solutions in order to overcome obstacles facing intra-OIC trade activities,” said Mohammed Al-Sharif, Secretary General of JCCI.
The primary aim is to provide a springboard for OIC countries and enable them to take a leap into the international marketplace,” Al-Sharif said.
“Attendance at the forum is open to any local or international businessmen,” said Saud Ounallah, deputy secretary general of JCCI. “Those who plan to attend the conference are required to register either beforehand or on the day the forum begins by paying a fee of SR1,000,” he explained.
The deputy secretary said that on the sidelines of the forum, a catalog show and a one-on-one business matching session (Promotion Desk) is being organized to facilitate direct interaction between visiting delegates and local companies wishing to forge ties with foreign partners.
Ministers and dignitaries from Muslim countries will speak on relevant topics during sessions. Among the speakers will be the prime minister of Lebanon, the Saudi minister of trade and industry, the Pakistani investment and privatization minister and the Turkish minister for foreign trade. The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Organization of Islamic Development Bank and MUSIAD, a non-governmental organization based in Turkey, are jointly organizing the forum.