JEDDAH, 20 October 2006 — The first woman to be appointed British consul general to Saudi Arabia, Carma Elliot, handed over the reins of office on Wednesday and bade farewell to the Kingdom. Her two-year posting was something of a homecoming, as she spent a significant part of her childhood in Jeddah and while here revisited old haunts.
“I shall go away with lots of happy memories and agreeably surprised,” she said in her last interview before leaving. “It’s difficult when you live outside Saudi Arabia to get an idea of how things work here and what society is like.”
Reflecting on her short posting, she thought that there were several significant steps forward in the relationship of the UK diplomatic and business community with the Saudi community.
She was particularly pleased that there had been an increase in the engagement with civil society in particular and felt that this had been due to employing a Saudi woman as the consulate’s projects officer. Employing Saudis in the office — there are three, two of them women — and using their skills and connections to the community had provided a welcome impetus.
“We are now a lot closer to a lot of organizations here that are doing lots in entrepreneurship, business development and development for women.”
Working in the office with Saudi nationals was perhaps the single thing that Elliot was most proud of having achieved in her time here. “Diplomats travel a lot but it is our locally engaged people in the office who provide the continuity.”
Elliot saw working in partnership with women and the resultant stronger bonds as “a major step forward.”
“I have worked with some very talented and ambitious women from the community on projects — had many debates and discussions. I think Saudi men should watch out!”
It could, she opined, only be a good thing that major companies in the medical and service industries had large numbers of women working for them. Over the last two years, there had been major trends in that direction. “There are major social issues that have to be overcome, but the drive and ambition of Saudi women is certainly enough to get them where they want to be.”
Elliot felt that when she arrived in Jeddah, the attitude of British companies to doing business here was one of reluctance. People who did not know much about Saudi Arabia did not understand the comparative advantage of doing business here. “The Saudi government has worked hard to show what the benefits are,” she said, “and this has helped a lot.”
The Trade Section had been able to share the UK experience in small and medium enterprise development together with the economic reform and the resurgence of the UK economy in recent years with Saudi businessmen. “That’s got to be a plus. Closer engagement on projects and with people is another major step forward.”
There was now a much greater commitment by UK companies to real investment in the Kingdom. She said it had increased over a short time from three billion to 12 billion pounds (SR21-SR84 billion). However, the business of business was not just a one-way street. “We have also worked at getting Saudi companies into the UK at the grass-roots level — in the interests of putting people face to face.”
Elliot put personal contact very high on the list of priorities for opening business here. Face-to-face contact particularly so. “If you are planning to do business here, who you choose to do business with — as customers or partners — is still a very important issue.”
It was, she thought, essential to know who is in the market and the various business hierarchies in the Kingdom. “Personal contact and knowledge that is so highly valued here is also in many other markets around the world — but here more so than most.”
“However, with the Saudi government we have worked a lot to promote the market within the UK — road shows and seminars and the Middle East Association regularly mount promotions with people who are already working here.”
To open opportunities for business, Elliot had a lot of contact with those trying to improve the business environment. Many barriers and approvals had been removed; the Kingdom was a very approval-intensive market and both SAGIA and the chamber of commerce had done much to address the remaining challenges.
Saudi Arabia was, she thought, a very opaque market but becoming easier to determine what the rules and regulations were, what the market entry was like and what vehicles there were to do so.
“It has changed somewhat now, but commercial memories linger quite a long time — often based on quite outdated knowledge. It’s important that people understand what the procedures are for coming in here.”
Elliot had no regrets about the things that had or had not be done during her tenure, but harbored hopes that initiatives that had been started would continue on a positive footing. Compared with two years ago, there had been a marked upward trend in business and inter-community activity.
“Two years is not a long time to achieve anything,” she said, “but with our current policies toward Saudi Arabia, there is great opportunity for further real engagement.”
Academically and by inclination Elliot, who speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese among several other languages, would have liked to stay longer. “But I am a Sinologist and the lure of the Orient and the potential for business combined with the waywardness of diplomatic postings caused me to move,” she admitted.
What then is her personal ambition?
“What’s been important in my career is that, wherever it was, that the job be interesting. I have basically followed my nose — so when Jeddah was offered I came.”
“I know where my next job is, but I don’t know where the one after that will be. I am quite happy to see where life takes me,” she said. “As long as it is interesting and positive.”
As if to prove the point, she will be traveling to her next posting in Shanghai across the Russian Steppes in winter by train.
