Magnetized cards will be introduced for the upcoming election to the chamber’s board for the first time in the history of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI).

Adnan Mandourah, JCCI’s secretary general, told Arab News that there were 54 candidates in the fray, including nine women, seeking election for 12 posts on the board for a four-year term. Half of the board members will comprise the merchant community, while industrialists will account for the other half. “The number of young candidates for this election is high,” he said.

“We will establish a dedicated website to answer the questions of the chamber members who are participating in the election. I expect that the number of voters in the elections to be sizeable because we have changed the method of voting. We are now using the one-vote rather than the group lists which we used to have in previous elections,” he said.

Sarah Al-Ayid, a candidate, said that so far no date had been set for the election, and this was adding to the confusion among candidates campaigning for their candidature. “Since the rules ban any ads in newspapers by candidates, the only way available form for them now is to go through social media sites,” she said.

“Compared to earlier elections, the number of female candidates at nine is high this time,” she added.

Mandourah said the committee supervising the elections has announced that beginning Tuesday, members can file objection against any candidate contesting the election.


“We will accept objections till Nov. 5, after which we will decide on the polling date,” he said, adding: “Of the 65,000 chamber members, about 46,000 have the right to vote.”

Yahya Azzan, chairman of the supervising committee, said the final date for the election had not been finalized yet. “We are still consulting with candidates and the management of the chamber. But the elections will be held very early in the new Hegirah year (1435), since Article 18 stipulates that no one can vote unless they have paid their subscription fee for the new year,” he said.

Muhyiddin Hikami, assistant to the secretary general of the chamber, said the election will be held in a closed TV circuit. The results will be announced electronically thorough the website. “For the first time, we will be using magnetized cards to achieve the highest degree of transparency,” he said.