JEDDAH: The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) is all set to launch a new online service exclusively for its members involved in small and medium size businesses.
According to Mohi Al-Din Hakmi, general manager of the JCCI’s IT department, the new Arabic/English service is to be available within four weeks and will fulfill the business needs of the overwhelming majority of the chamber’s members.
Up to 80 percent of the JCCI’s nearly 42,000 members own businesses that are categorized as small and medium. The new site, to be based at www.tijarah.com.sa, will be an online market where members can display their products and services and do business transactions without the fear of being conned.
Hakmi said online business is always risky as it is at times difficult to ascertain the authenticity of the person or the company that is being dealt with. But transactions through this site would have the guarantee of the chamber, thus eliminating any chance of fraud.
In the first year, the site is going to be free. Then, depending on the response, users will be charged, said Hakmi.
This is going to be the second online JCCI service in the last few months. In October 2009, the Chamber launched the Jeddah Economic Gateway (www.jeg.org.sa) which serves as a major reference for economic information in the Jeddah governorate. It documents economic data relevant to the business community. Hakmi said the site is a welcome addition to the business community as it offers a variety of information such as reports and studies published by the JCCI as well as research centers, universities and governmental agencies. Useful statistics on population and work force, the economic sectors, investment opportunities and foreign trade are other features of the Jeddah Economic Gateway.
Facilitating direct communication between exporters and importers is one of the most important services that the JCCI provides to the business community.
The Jeddah Economic Gateway site allows members to browse through products of companies and factories from all over the world to ease the process of international trade using the most effective means at reduced costs. It also informs its users about investment opportunities available in various Saudi sectors by providing feasibility studies in cooperation with the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), the agency that helps foreign investors in the Kingdom.
