The Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI) has announced plans to open a new branch in Khulais, a town 75 km from the city. The new branch was scheduled to open its doors last week but logistical constrains in the town have caused a delay of a few days, sources told Arab News.

The Khulais branch, sources said, will not only be confined to attestation and subscription work or renewal of membership, but will be acting as a full-fledged chamber of commerce to boost trade activity in the town and its environs.

“The branch in Khulais will be focused on agriculture, small and medium scale business sectors in the area, as well as facilitating investment opportunities in the region,” Adnan Mandoura, secretary general of JCCI, told Arab News.

According to Mandoura, JCCI is moving closer to businessmen in their districts to avoid the hassle of traveling far from their location and to give a helping hand to local trade and commerce. The official claimed that JCCI now has branches at Rabigh, Qunfudah and Lieth, in addition to other offices at Umm Al-Salam, Sairafi Mall and a Customs Office in Jeddah, while there are plans to open another branch in downtown Balad.

As of now, every day hundreds of expatriate workers visit JCCI headquarters in Jeddah for attestation and also dozens of businessmen are compelled to travel there to organize and arrange bureaucratic issues at the JCCI offices.

“It is half day job for us go from here to Jeddah and visit JCCI headquarters to get any document attested, it is painful,” says Mohammed Aleem, an Indian expatriate working in the private sector and living in Khulais. Aleem showed a great deal of optimism in the new branch, hoping that it will boost business activity in the town. Many, like Aleem, also expect that the new offices will put an end to the difficulties faced by expatriates to receive attestation.

The JCCI is the first Chamber of Commerce in the Kingdom, founded by the late King Abdul Aziz after he issued a royal decree in Jan. 18, 1946.