YANBU: Eight of the outgoing members of the board of directors of the Yanbu Chamber of Commerce and Industry have opted not to run in the elections for a new board.
Meanwhile, eight newcomers, including a woman, have decided to contest the elections, which are expected to take place soon.
Those who have declined to run include former Chairman Abdul Kareem Al-Hamdi, former Deputy Chairman Ali bin Juraid Al-Rifae, former Second Deputy Chairman Naji bin Saad Al-Ahmadi and former Head of the Tourist Committee Musa bin Abdullah Al-Subhi.
Some members of the business community in Yanbu, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed surprise that the eight outgoing members had chosen not to run in the elections saying that their experience would be greatly missed.
The eight new candidates, consisting of traders and industrialists, include for the first time in the chamber’s history a woman. The deadline, which ends on Wednesday, was given to members of the chamber to challenge the contenders.
Alawiyah Abdul Fattah Manqal, a Yanbu businesswoman, said she hopes to represent 93 businesswomen in the chamber at board meetings. “Women have had no say in the decisions taken by the board of directors all these years. I hope I would be able to convey their viewpoints on all issues,” she said, expressing her happiness at possibly being the first woman on the chamber’s board of directors.
“Women have been absent from the board of directors since the establishment of the chamber. I am happy to speak on behalf of them all,” she said.
Manqal, who lived in Makkah before moving to Yanbu, said she had strong relationships with businessmen and businesswomen in the two cities.
She said she would endeavor to establish a business center to cater for the needs of businesswomen, including a training center to provide management training to women.
She also said she would cooperate with existing financial centers and human resource development funds to provide businesswomen with trained and skilled manpower.
Many businesswomen expressed their support for Manqal, saying that they feel confident she would be able to safeguard their interests.
Late last month, the Ministry of Commerce suspended elections to the board of directors of the Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MCCI) until further notice, citing violations in some commercial registrations.
