JEDDAH: Seven new faces have been elected to the board of Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), according to the election results declared early Thursday. Lama Suleiman was the only woman candidate to win the election.
Many veterans including Sami Bahrawi, Ibrahim Al-Subaie, Nashwa Taher and Madawi Hassoun, who are on the present board, lost in the election. Most of the seven women candidates failed to receive men’s votes, getting between eight and 22 votes.
The winners were Essam Nas (282 votes), Muhammad Khoja (278), Ziyad Al-Bassam (258), Bassam Akhdar (234), Abdullah Dahlan (185) and Zuhair Al-Marhoumi (135), all from the traders category; Saleem Al-Harbi (567), Lama Suleiman (557), Abdullah Binmahfouz (496), Mazen Batterjee (435), Ahmed Al-Marbae (389) and Abdul Khaliq Saeed (302) from industrialists.
The new members take charge Nov. 5 after the appointment of six more members — three each from traders and industrialists — by Minister of Commerce and Industry Abdullah Zainal Alireza. He is expected to appoint new members from vital sectors such as transport, communications, gold and automobile.
Candidates will be given a week to challenge the results.
Four of the 65 candidates received only one vote each while 18 candidates received 10 or fewer votes. The industrialists won more votes than traders.
Observers described the election result as a big surprise as many little-known businessmen received a substantial number of votes.
As many as 6,414 people, including 150 foreign investors, cast their votes in one of the most heated elections in JCCI history. The counting of votes started at midnight, after polls closed at 9 p.m., and continued for five hours. The results were declared officially at 5 a.m.
Mustafa Sabri, JCCI secretary-general, said the present board chaired by Muhammad Al-Fadl, will continue until Nov. 5. “Despite the skirmishes that had taken place between some candidates and their supporters, the election was held in an orderly manner.”
Businessman Abdul Khaliq Saeed, who is one of the winners, expected greater competition to hold the posts of JCCI chairman and two deputy chairmen. “My participation in the election gave me an opportunity to meet with other businessmen and different groups of the business community.” He said it was the duty of the elected members to take the message of those who voted for them to government officials and create a better atmosphere for business.
