JEDDAH, 1 May 2006 — The general assembly for the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) met on Saturday under the chairmanship of Abdullah Al-Muallami and the attendance of the board of directors. Al-Muallami announced that total JCCI income for 2005 were SR78.5 million with total expenses of SR72 million. He expected earnings for the current year to be about SR82.4 million and for expenses to decrease to SR71.3 million; the expected extra income of SR11.1 million will go toward serving the business sector.
The last quarter of the year saw competition for winning seats on the chamber’s board of directors. For the first time, women ran for office in the Saudi chambers of commerce and industry and won two seats. During the meeting discussions were held on the services provided by the chamber and ways for enhancing them to a higher local and international standard in addition to activating the role of the chamber in supporting the national development and increasing commercial growth.
The board presented facts and figures about its achievements during the year in serving and developing the Jeddah community and its economy as well as serving the chamber’s members. These included the number of different events organized and investment opportunities presented, media and public relations activities, consultations, licenses and certificates and legal cases.
The board also presented what it described as “its commitment towards the members according to concepts and programs based on its strategic plan.”
Among its most important primary programs for the current year is facilitating the financing of 1,000 new initiatives through the contracted financing funds, cooperating with large companies to provide industrial investment opportunities for small projects, organizing exhibitions for small establishments’ industries and establishing two investment projects on the chamber’s properties in Rabigh and Qunfutha and improving the chamber’s branches in these two cities.