Editor’s Note:

The 6th Annual Global Competitiveness Forum (GCF) organized by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA) is set to open in Riyadh later this month. This year’s Forum, titled “The Entrepreneurship Imperative,” will touch on all forms of entrepreneurship, according to the GCF Web site, “from social entrepreneurship to government; corporate and intrapreneruship to the importance of failure, the value of risk as well as the anatomy of an entrepreneur, amongst many more.” Among the speakers are Prince Faisal bin Abdullah, Minister of Education and Prince Turki Al-Faisal, Chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies. Today we bring you the Forum announcement provided by SAGIA.

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Business, NGO Leaders to Focus on Entrepreneurship at Global Meet - Sixth edition of Global Competitiveness Forum in Riyadh will feature speakers from diverse economic and social sectors

Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, January 2, 2012 –(PR.com)– Hundreds of business and NGO leaders, intellectuals and media persons will converge in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from January 21 to 24 to participate in the Sixth Global Competitiveness Forum (GCF). The event is expected to offer insight on the continuing economic and financial problems affecting the world as well as positive ideas to address the most pressing global challenges.

GCF 2012 is hosted by the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), which oversees the foreign direct investment (FDI) flow into Saudi Arabia. Every year, the event addresses the concept of competitiveness from diverse perspectives presented by the keynote speakers and panel sessions attended by leaders and experts in various fields. GCF 2012 takes place just before the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, and is expected to provide a foretaste of the economic discussions in the Swiss town.

The event’s key theme is “The Entrepreneurship Imperative.” The speakers’ list for GCF 2012 consists of over 100 business leaders representing diverse sectors such as the Government, NGOs, Education and Training, Arts, Media and Advertising, Information Technology, Entrepreneurship, Finance Consultancy, and industries such as Aviation, Chemicals, Electricals and Automobiles.

Saudi Arabian leaders and Government ministers attending GCF 2012 as speakers and panelists include Prince Turki Al Faisal, Chairman of King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, Prince Faisal Bin Abdulla, Minister of Education, and Adel Fakih, Minister of labor.

Canada’s former Prime Minister Jean Chretien, South Korea’s former prime minister, Chung un-chan will also address the Forum.

One of the interesting highlights of GCF 2012 is the dominance of NGO leaders in the speakers’ list. The non-profit organizations make up the largest single bloc of speakers at the GCF. Different panel sessions will explore the main theme from different angles. One session titled “Generation C-Click, connect, communicate, collaborate” will discuss the future of digital connectivity and dependence on the virtual world in conducting business. A second session titled “The anatomy of an entrepreneur” explores the evolution of entrepreneurship and how entrepreneurs continue to change their business practices over the years. One of the sessions titled “Artrepreneurship” looks at Art as an industry that creates business opportunities, generates profit and creates jobs.

The SAGIA event is taking place at a time when there is strong global interest in investing in Saudi Arabia, which has been hailed as the most stable of regional economies that offers tremendous growth opportunities. The Saudi Arabian economy has been unaffected by the political turmoil that has swept across the Middle East. According to latest Business Monitor International (BMI) report, new investments in 2012 are expected to result in 10 percent annual growth.

The GCF 2012 will be the first major global gathering of business leaders from around the world. Mr. Abdulla Uzaib, the CEO of GCF, says: “The GCF is a platform where opinions and ideas from around the world converge. We will hear insights from business leaders, NGOs and thinkers not only about our key theme of entrepreneurship, but also about the major economic and social challenges the world is facing now.”

The Forum is also a major networking event for participants from around the world and Saudi and regional businesses. There is considerable emphasis on startups and medium businesses, as they are the most promising sectors in the fast growing Saudi economy, especially in terms of creating new jobs.

The GCF 2012 also consists of major sessions dedicated to youth and business start-ups. Many of the businessmen and businesswomen in the country are of young age, they are the driving force behind the Small and Medium Business sector.

SAGIA has several ongoing initiatives that encourage competitiveness and growth, with considerable focus on the youth. These include the Saudi Fast growth 100 (SFG100), Most competitive Youth, and Saudi Responsible Competitiveness Index.

Source: PR.com

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About SAGIA

SAGIA, the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority, was established in 2000 as part of the new foreign investment law in Saudi Arabia. SAGIA supervises the attraction of foreign investment into the country, and manages Saudi Arabia’s competitiveness agenda in an effort to improve the country’s business environment. As a result of the efforts of SAGIA’s National Competitiveness Council, and the Saudi Government as a whole, Saudi Arabia is now considered the 8th largest recipient of FDI with inflows of 35 Billion USD in 2009, 11th Easiest Place to Do Business according to the World Bank-IFC’s Doing Business Report, and the 21st most competitive country in the world according to the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index.

For more information, please contact:
SAGIA – May Bin Dayel – mad@sagia.gov.sa
Alef International: Ibtihal AlSamaraie – Ibtihal.alsamarie@alefinternational.com

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Related Items:

• Global Competitiveness Forum
• Global Competitiveness Forum Video

EXCLUSIVE

Editor’s Note:

The first international trade exhibition in Saudi Arabia is set for February 20-24, 2012 as we mentioned in the Riyadh International Trade Expo announcement last month. SUSRIS has chronicled the business opportunities in the Kingdom and the scope of the economic boom that is wide open to foreign partners. Among these was coverage of Saudi trade missions across the United States as early as 2005 as well as the 2010 (Chicago) and planned 2011 US-Saudi Business Opportunities Forums (Atlanta). The Riyadh Expo is among the terrific events which hold open the door for business people – both exhibitors and visitors – to learn about Saudi commercial prospects while on the ground in the Kingdom.

SUSRIS recently spoke with distinguished Saudi businessman and member of the Shura Council, Engineer Usamah M. Al-Kurdi about business opportunities in the Kingdom and the Riyadh International Trade Expo. He is Chairman of Alagat, the public relations and business promotion firm in Riyadh involved in organizing the Expo, and he is a long-time promoter of commercial relations between Saudi Arabia and her international partners.

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What’s happening in Saudi Arabia right now is probably the biggest boom that we will ever witness.

H.E. Abdullah Zainal Alireza
Minister of Commerce and Industry

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SUSRIS: Thank you again for taking time to talk with us about the business opportunities in the Kingdom and specifically about the upcoming Riyadh International Trade Expo. Let’s start with the event. What are the objectives of the Expo?

Usamah Al-Kurdi

Eng. Usamah M. Al-Kurdi: Thank you for your interest. As to the objectives of the International Trade Expo, let me start by saying that this exhibition is the first of its kind. Saudi Arabia has never had its own international exhibition as is customary in many countries around the world and particularly in our part of the world. It is also notable that this first of its kind event is being organized under the auspices of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, and is being supervised by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. That is what makes this exhibition unique compared to other exhibitions being organized in Saudi Arabia.

The objective of the Riyadh Expo is to introduce business people to the opportunities for trade and investment, especially for international companies that exhibit at the Expo. We are drawing interest to them and their exhibits, through the lens of the major economic boom that Saudi Arabia is experiencing. We want to attract both exhibitors and visitors to learn about the commercial climate and to share in the boom.

It can’t be said enough how many opportunities for trade and investment there are in Saudi Arabia and trade with Saudi Arabia, so we have to show foreign exporters and investors what it’s all about.

In many cases the level of trade between Saudi Arabia and other countries can be improved and developed. So the second objective is to raise the economic exchanges, in particular trade, between Saudi Arabia and the other countries.

Our third objective is to open more channels in Saudi Arabia, new markets, for exporters. We think that we will be supporting the Saudi consumers if we offer them diverse products. So we aim to help improve the sources of supply for the Saudi market. That is our third objective.

Fourth, we want to create a venue and environment for further business to business contacts between communities.

The fifth objective is to deepen the international cooperation in all areas and to synchronize the views of exporters and importers through direct contact at the Expo.

These are the most important objectives of the exhibition.

SUSRIS: Can you talk about the business sectors that will be represented?

Al-Kurdi: The six most important sectors that we will address are:

• the construction sector including construction material and furniture,
• second is telecom, IT and related services,
• the agricultural sector including the related industrial areas, food and associated services,
• fourth is something very important to Saudi Arabia, the education and training, and manpower development sector,
• next is the banking sector alongside insurance and financial services,
• sixth is transportation and logistics.

You can see the list may be a little bit long but this is the nature of the Saudi economy these days. Many sectors are seeing major developments and we were pressed to narrow down the most important sectors. But having a good variety of sectors is not enough. Let me tell you about the opportunities offered by the Saudi economy for exhibiting companies and for visitors.

Again we were pressed to limit the list to a reasonable number of opportunities in an environment like the expansive, booming economy of Saudi Arabia. We have listed 13 different areas that are among the hot opportunities in the country and should be interesting for exhibitors and visitors.

• infrastructure projects,
• energy and petrochemicals,
• mining and related services,
• renewable energy projects,
• generation and transmission of electric power
• desalination and water,
• oil & gas support services,
• support services of railways and city trains,
• education & training,
• medical & health services,
• information and communication technology,
• rationalized of water use in agriculture and other uses,
• transportation and logistics.

You can see from these sectors and from these opportunities the Saudi economy is offering huge possibilities for investors.

Let me mention some of the services that we are offering to the exhibitors. Of course, we will help them get their goods through customs. We will help them construct their pavilions. And by the way, we are creating pavilions for each country. We are now in the process concluding agreements with some 30 countries to come and participate in this show. We are also finalizing the list of organizations and companies in each one of those countries to be in charge of their country pavilion. And so the companies will be divided among the different pavilions and as I said we will help with customs and setting up the pavilions. All of this is discussed on the Expo web site.

There will also be many Saudi companies participating. We are talking with many of them now, starting with the top 100 Saudi companies. The list, of course, is a lot more than just 100 companies, but starting at the top shows the level of participation to expect at the Expo. Exhibitors and visitors will be in the company of some of the best companies in Saudi Arabia.

As I mentioned earlier we want to make sure visitors are as well looked after as the exhibitors. The visitors program is very important for us. Not only are we going to organize visitors coming to the show from Saudi Arabia but we also have a visitor program for the many business people who will come to the show from around the world.

We are also organizing a meet-the-buyer program for the benefit of the exhibitors where every company will have appointments with some of the important companies in Saudi Arabia in the sectors that concern them.

SUSRIS: Are there other programs or features of the Expo?

Al-Kurdi: Yes, there are. We are already organizing workshops. We expect that visitors and exhibitors alike will want to listen to speakers about what is happening in Saudi Arabia, to hear about the experiences in Saudi Arabia. So we are organizing workshops that the sectors in Saudi Arabia. That way the exhibitors can be in an environment where they can ask questions about their own sectors in one of these workshops. The schedule of the workshops, at the same time and place where the show is taking place, will allow everyone to take advantage of them.

SUSRIS: Why is Saudi Arabia a good place for business?

Al-Kurdi: We talked already about the booming economy of Saudi Arabia. Let me add, and any of your readers might know, that Saudi Arabia’s government budget for 2011 was SR500 billion [$133.3 billion] but not many would know that the government has added what they call “out of the budget” programs, another SR500 billion, which tells you the size of this economy.

Now, not only is the size of the government expenditures raising economic growth in the country but also the fiscal policy has been able to keep inflation at the relatively low pace of about 5 percent. If you compare this to other countries you’ll see that inflation here is quite low.

So these are two reasons, government expenditures and low inflation why the business environment is so good. Also, when you compare Saudi Arabia to all of the markets in the Middle East North Africa region, I would confidently say that Saudi Arabia is the most viable economy at this time and in the years to come. Just look at the changes other countries either have gone through, or are going through. These are changes that are dramatically affecting the ability of foreigners to do business, or are reducing government growth. In many cases their markets are significantly smaller than Saudi Arabia.

Many of your readers might not know that the size of the stock market in Saudi Arabia equals about 60 percent of the total stock market valuation in all of the 22 Arab countries. This is just one more example of what is happening in Saudi Arabia and why it is an important place to do business. Add to that the improved ranking of Saudi Arabia on the “ease of doing business” index in the past few years. Our ranking in has moved from 68 to 11, a demonstration of how hard we have worked in the Kingdom to make the booming environment open and ready for international investment and partnerships.

Other indices are improving in terms of investment inflows and it was ranked by the World Bank as one of the top five countries that has seen major economic reform. We are members of the World Trade Organization and the only Middle Eastern nation in the Group of Twenty leading countries in the world economy. We are also mindful that the success of the economy has reached many other parts of life in Saudi Arabia including education, including social welfare, even including steps on the path of women’s empowerment.

The mood in the country is very positive in another area that is worth mentioning. That is the confidence in the business community, the Saudi private sector, which has improved dramatically over the past few years. So, all the signs say that Saudi Arabia is a near perfect place to do business. I’m not going to say that we are a perfect country now. There are many, many things that we still have to do. But I can say that Saudi Arabia offers unparalleled opportunity in the Middle East North Africa region. If you consider the business environment in the world in light of the global financial troubles and any new financial crisis caused by expected events in the Eurozone, I think Saudi Arabia will be the best place to do business in the region.

SUSRIS: Can you explain the SR500 billion “out of budget” program? Was that part of the social spending announced by King Abdullah earlier this year?

Al-Kurdi: That’s part of it. Yes it is. It is designed to address a number of sectors of Saudi Arabia. For example, funds are being earmarked for infrastructure, including airports, ports, and the like. Some is earmarked for health care. Some is allocated for housing, but I should add this is a very interesting sector for companies that have innovative construction technology for housing. The competition in building the standard type housing is high but companies with new technologies in building homes are encouraged to get involved. There is great interest, for example, in homes that can be built relatively quickly and homes that use less energy. That’s why you find sustainable energy among the 13 opportunities that are being offered by the Saudi economy.

SUSRIS: Any last advice for exhibitors who are considering the Riyadh International Expo in February?

Al-Kurdi: Go to the web site, www.RiyadhInterExpo.com, to learn more. Contact us at Alagat at the email address shown on the web site. We are very excited about the international participation particularly about the U.S. and U.K. interest in exhibiting.

There are tremendous opportunities among the 13 different opportunities offered by the Saudi economy. Many of them are important for our work with our historic major trading partners. Let me mention, especially, sustainable energy, IT and transportation objectives. These are areas that our American and British colleagues should be interested in. So when you consider the opportunities being offered in these areas and the dramatically improved business environment in Saudi Arabia I = hope to see many American and British companies among the exhibitors at the Riyadh Expo.

SUSRIS: Thank you and good luck with the Expo.

Al-Kurdi: Thank you.

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About Eng. Usamah Al-Kurdi

Usamah Al-Kurdi

Mr. Al-Kurdi is a member of the Consultative Council (Majlis Ash-Shura) of Saudi Arabia where he serves on the Economic and Energy Affairs Committee and as Chairman of the Saudi-American Friendship Committee. From 1990-2001, Mr. Al-Kurdi served as Secretary General of the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce, as well as Vice President of Saudi Consulting House, a forerunner of the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA). He has also served on the Boards of Saudi Arabia’s National Industrialization Committee and the Royal Commission on Jubail & Yanbu (industrial cities).

For more information [Link Here]

SUSRIS Reports on Economic Issues:

• The “Robust” Saudi Banking Sector: A Conversation with Khaled AlKhattaf – SBRIS – Oct 20 2011
• Economic Projections – Jadwa – SUSRIS – Oct 16, 2011
• Saudi Arabia Inflation Report – August 2011 – Jadwa – SUSRIS – Sep 17, 2011
• Saudi Arabia: Continuing Prosperity – Prince Turki Al-Faisal – SUSRIS – Sep 12, 2011
• September Chartbook – Jadwa – SUSRIS – Sep 9, 2011
• Key Economic Developments – Jadwa – SUSRIS – Sep 3, 2011
• Monthly Bulletin – August 2011 – Jadwa – SUSRIS – Aug 24, 2011
• Saudi Arabia Inflation Report – July 2011 – Jadwa – SUSRIS – Aug 22, 2011
• Inflation Report – Second Quarter 2011 – Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency
• Saudi Economic Trends – Jadwa Chartbook – August 13, 2011
• Debt, Downgrade and Saudi Arabia – Jadwa – August 9, 2011
• The Saudi Stock Market and Ramadan – July 23, 2011
• Saudi Arabia Inflation Report – Jadwa – July 21, 2011
• Saudi Arabia Economics – June 2011 – BSF – July 21, 2011
• Saudi Economic Trends – Jadwa Chartbook – July 20, 2011
• Short Term Inflation Spike – SUSRIS – Jul 16, 2011
• Energy, Consumption Lift Saudi Q3 Business Confidence – Sfakianakis – SUSRIS – June 28, 2011
• Saudi Arabia Economics – SUSRIS – June 21, 2011
• Saudi Arabia Economics – SUSRIS – May20, 2011
• Real Estate Saudi Arabia – SUSRIS – May 12, 2011
• Saudi Arabia Monetary Indicators – April 2011 – SUSRIS – Apr 28, 2011
• Business Confidence Rides on $100 Plus Oil – SUSRIS – March 2011
• Economics Quarterly: To Spend or Not to Spend? – SUSRIS – March 2011
• Monthly Monetary Indicators – SUSRIS – March 2011
• Reaching Out Again: Financial Support Analyzed – BSF – Mar 23,2011
• Royal decrees, regional unrest and the economy – Jadwa – SUSRIS – Mar 23, 2011
• Saudi Arabia Economics – BSF – Mar 22, 2011
• Monthly Monetary Indicators – March 2011
• Emerging Markets: What is next for Saudi Arabia? – March 2011
• Employment Quandary: Urgency for Reform – SUSRIS – February 2011
• Saudi Arabia Monetary Indicators – SUSRIS – February 2011
• Uprising in Egypt and Financial Volatility – SUSRIS – January 31
• Saudi Arabia Economics – SUSRIS – January 2011
• Saudi Business Leaders Bullish in 2011, BSF Confidence Index Show- SUSRIS
• Why Are Economists Bullish on Saudi Arabia’s 2011 Economic Prospects – SUSRIS
• Saudi Arabia Monetary Indicators – January 2011 – SUSRIS
• Ready to Roll: 2011 Saudi Budget: Sfakianakis – SUSRIS – Dec 21, 2010
• Saudi 2011 Budget Reflects Solid Economy – SUSRISblog – Dec, 21, 2010
• Saudi Arabia Monetary Indicators – December 2010
• Saudi Arabia Economics – December 2010 – SUSRIS – Dec 7, 2010
• Saudi Monetary Indicators – November 2010 – SUSRIS – Nov 12, 2010
• Saudi Arabia Business Confidence Index – 2010Q4 – SUSRIS – Oct 19, 2010
• Saudi Arabia Economics – BSF – October 2010 – SUSRIS – Oct 11, 2010
• Jadwa Monthly Economic Bulletin – September 2010 – SUSRIS – Oct 9, 2010
• Saudi Monthly Monetary Indicators from BSF 10-06-10 – SUSRIS – Oct 7, 2010
• Saudi Monetary Indicators for August 2010 – SUSRIS – Sep 1, 2010
• Saudi Arabia Economics – August 2010 – SUSRIS – Aug 22, 2010
• August Bulletin – Jadwa Investment – SUSRIS – Aug 10, 2010
• Saudi Economic Trends – Jadwa Chartbook – August 2010 – SUSRIS – Jul 31, 2010
• Saudi Monetary Indicators for July 2010 – SUSRIS – Jul 7, 2010
• Saudi Monetary Indicators for June 2010 – SUSRIS – Jun 30, 2010
• Saudi Economic Trends – Jadwa Chartbook – June 2010 – SUSRIS – Jun 1, 2010
• Euro crisis and its impact on Saudi Arabia – Jadwa – SUSRIS – May 29, 2010
• Saudi Arabia Economics – May 2010 – SUSRIS – May 25, 2010
• Saudi Monetary Indicators for April 2010 – SUSRIS – May 25, 2010
• Vulnerability to European “Shockwaves” – Sfakianakis – SUSRIS – May 17, 2010
• Jadwa Investment May 2010 Bulletin – SUSRIS – May 17, 2010
• Greek Debt Crisis and the Kingdom – SUSRIS – May 11, 2010
• Jadwa Investment April 2010 Bulletin – SUSRIS – Apr 28, 2010
• U.S. Exports to Arab World Rebounding – SUSRIS – Apr 16, 2010
• Saudi Economic Trends – Jadwa Chartbook – April 2010
• Saudi Stock Market Report – Jadwa Investment – SUSRIS IOI – Mar 21, 2010
• Jadwa Chartbook – March 2010
• Jadwa Chartbook – February 2010

By and About Usamah Al-Kurdi on SUSRIS:

• Perspective of a Shura Council Member: The Arab Spring – Al-Kurdi – Exclusive Interview – Part 1 – SUSRIS – Apr 25, 2011
• Perspective of a Shura Council Member: Washington-Riyadh Connections – Al-Kurdi –  Exclusive Interview – Part 2 – SUSRIS – Apr 26, 2011
• Perspective of a Shura Council Member: Commerce and Energy – Al-Kurdi – SUSRIS – Apr 27, 2011
• Business Forum Perspectives: A Conversation with Usamah Al-Kurdi – SUSRIS Exclusive – Apr 28, 2010
• Developments in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – Al-Kurdi (MEI) – SUSRIS – Jul 11, 2008
• The View from a Majlis Ash-Shura Member: A Conversation with Usamah al-Kurdi – SUSRIS Exclusive – Dec 31, 2006
• On Relations and Reforms: A Conversation with Usamah al-Kurdi – SUSRIS Exclusive – May 30, 2006 (Reprint)
• On Relations and Reforms: A Conversation with Usamah al Kurdi – SUSRIS Exclusive – Sep 30, 2005
• Political, Social and Economic Reform in Saudi Arabia: Interview with Usamah Al-Kurdi – Part 2 – SUSRIS Exclusive – Dec 15, 2004
• A Strong Relationship is the Only Path: Interview with Usamah Al-Kurdi – Part 1 – SUSRIS Exclusive – Dec 9, 2004
• The Dynamics of Economic and Commercial Reform: Near-Term Prognoses – Usamah Al-Kurdi – SUSRIS – Sep 27, 2004
• How to Reform Saudi Arabia Without Handing It to Extremists – Part 2 – SUSRIS
• How to Reform Saudi Arabia Without Handing It to Extremists – Part 1 – SUSRIS
• Economic Reform in Saudi Arabia – Summary of Remarks by Usamah Al-Kurdi – June 4, 2004

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT

FROM THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON U.S.-ARAB RELATIONS

20th Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference

OCTOBER 27-28, 2011

“Dynamics of Recent Events in the Arab World: Framing the Arab and U.S. Responses”

[SUSRIS subscribers -- first 25 -- will have their registration fee covered.]

We are pleased to inform you that on October 27-28, 2011, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations (www.ncusar.org) will host its 20th Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, located at 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW in Washington, DC.

Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, the first 25 SUSRIS subscribers to return a completed registration form to the National Council will be able to attend the Council’s conference free of charge (up to a $500 value). Included in this complimentary registration are all conference sessions, two luncheons, and access to some of the world’s top policymakers.

We are delighted to make this opportunity available to select SUSRIS subscribers. Last year’s conference had more than 1,000 registrants, and video and transcripts of the proceedings are available on the National Council’s website www.ncusar.org.

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SESSION TOPICS AND TIMES

Thursday, October 27, 2011

8:50 – 9:00 a.m.: WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS

9:00 – 10:00 a.m.: KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Speaker:
Ambassador Chas W. Freeman, Jr.

10:00 – 11:15 a.m.: DYNAMICS OF DEFENSE COOPERATION
Chair: 
Ambassador James Larocco
Speakers:
Dr. Joseph Moynihan
General Joseph Hoar (USMC, Ret.)
Commentators:
Col. David Des Roches (USA)
Mr. Bob Sharp

11:15 – 12:30 p.m.: ENERGY DYNAMICS
Chair:
The Honorable Molly Williamson
Speakers:
Dr. Herman T. Franssen
Mr. Jay Pryor
Ms. Randa Fahmy Hudome

12:30 – 1:00 p.m.: NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY

1:00 – 2:15 p.m.: LUNCHEON KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Speaker:
HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Sa’ud

2:15 – 3:45 p.m.: GEOPOLITICAL DYNAMICS (I): Iraq 
Chair:
Dr. Kenneth B. Katzman
Speakers:
Dr. Eric Davis
Dr. Juan Cole
Dr. Paul Sullivan
Ms. Shameem Rassam

3:45 – 5:00p.m.: GEOPOLITICAL DYNAMICS (II): Arab North Africa (The Maghreb) / Syria / Yemen 
Speakers:
Mr. A. Omar Turbi
Dr. Néjib Ayachi
Dr. Michele Dunne
Mr. Christopher Blanchard

6:30 – 8:30 p.m.: PRIVATE RECEPTION for Conference Sponsors, Speakers, VIPs, and Invited Guests Hosted by His Excellency Adel A. Al-Jubeir, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States.

Friday, October 28, 2011 

8:50 – 9:10 a.m.: A VIEW FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Speaker:
Dr. Tamara Wittes 

9:10 – 10:15 a.m.: BUSINESS, INVESTMENT, AND FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT DYNAMICS AND PROSPECTS
Chair:
Mr. Michael Markland
Speakers:
The Honorable Jose W. Fernandez
Ambassador Ford Fraker
Ambassador Joseph LeBaron
Mr. Danny E. Sebright 

10:15 – 11:45 a.m.: GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL (GCC) DYNAMICS (III)
Chair:
Dr. John Duke Anthony
Speakers:
Dr. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla
Dr. Abdulla Al-Shayji
Mr. Jeremy Jones
Dr. Thomas Mattair
Commentator:
Mr. Robert Lacey

11:45 – 12:15 p.m.: NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY

12:15 – 1:00 p.m.: LUNCHEON (SPONSORED BY THE U.S.-U.A.E. BUSINESS COUNCIL)
Welcome on Behalf of the U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council:
Mr. Danny E. Sebright

1:00 – 1:30 p.m.: KEYNOTE ADDRESS
Introduction:
Ms. Harriet Fulbright
Speaker:
H.E. Ambassador Sameh Shoukry

1:30 – 3:00 p.m.: GEOPOLITICAL DYNAMICS (III): Palestine
Chair: 
Mr. Yousef Munayyer
Speakers:
H.E. Ambassador Maen Areikat
Ms. Michelle Steinberg
Dr. Ghada Karmi
Dr. Norton Mezvinsky

3:00 – 4:30 p.m.: GEOPOLITICAL DYNAMICS (IV): Iran
Chair:
Dr. John L. Iskander
Speakers:
Mr. Afshin Molavi
Dr. Janne Nolan
Dr. Flynt Leverett
Ms. Hillary Mann Leverett

4:30 – 5:15 p.m.: WHITHER THE ARAB-U.S. RELATIONSHIP IN THE PERIOD AHEAD? POLICY IMPLICATIONS FROM THE LEAGUE OF ARAB STATES
Chair:
Ms. Barbara G. B. Ferguson
Speaker:
H.E. Ambassador Dr. Hussein Hassouna
Commentators:
Mr. Bill Corcoran
Mr. John Moran
Mr. George S. Hishmeh

5:15 – 5:45 p.m.: LIBYA: THE WAY FORWARD
Speaker:
H.E. Ambassador Ali Aujali 

5:45 p.m.: CONCLUDING REMARKS AND ADJOURNMENT

VIEW THE COMPLETE SCHEDULE ON THE NATIONAL COUNCIL’S WEBSITE

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To register for the October 2011 conference, download the registration form from the National Council’s website (http://ncusar.org/programs/20AUSPC-registration-form.pdf) and send it to the Council via fax (202-293-7770) or mail (NCUSAR, 1730 M St. NW, Suite 503, Washington, DC 20036).

In order to have your registration fees waived, please note at the bottom of the registration form that you are a “SUSRIS SUBSCRIBER”

The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations has set the dates for the 20th Annual Arab-US Policymakers Conference in Washington, D.C. This year’s event will be held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on October 27-28, 2011.

More information is available on the NCUSAR web site at: www.NCUSAR.org.

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SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION:
http://ncusar.org/programs/20AUSPC-sponsor-info.pdf

REGISTRATION FORM:
http://ncusar.org/programs/20AUSPC-registration-form.pdf

TRANSCRIPTS & VIDEO FROM THE 2010 CONFERENCE:
http://ncusar.org/programs/2010auspc.html

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Conference Moderator and Facilitator

Dr. John Duke Anthony
President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

Dr. John Duke Anthony is the Founding President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations. He is also a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Defense’s Institute for Security Assistance Management, an Adjunct Professor at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, and a Member of the U.S. Department of State’s Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy (ACIEP) as well as the ACIEP’s Subcommittees on Sanctions and Trade and Investment.

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About the National Council on US-Arab Relations

Founded in 1983, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations is an American non-profit, non-governmental, educational organization dedicated to improving American knowledge and understanding of the Arab world. The Council has been granted public charity status in accordance with Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. The National Council does not employ or retain a lobbyist.

Vision

The National Council’s vision is a relationship between the United States and its Arab partners, friends, and allies that rests on as solid and enduring a foundation as possible. Such a foundation, viewed from both ends of the spectrum, is one that would be characterized by strengthened and expanded strategic, economic, political, commercial, and defense cooperation ties; increased joint ventures; a mutuality of benefit; reciprocal respect for each other’s heritage and values; and overall acceptance of each other’s legitimate needs, concerns, interests, and objectives.

Mission

The National Council’s mission is educational. It seeks to enhance American awareness, knowledge, and understanding of the Arab countries, the Mideast, and the Islamic world. Its means for doing so encompass but are not limited to programs for leadership development, people-to-people exchanges, lectures, publications, an annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference, and the participation of American students and faculty in Arab world study experiences. As a public service, the Council also serves as an information clearinghouse and participant in national, state, and local grassroots outreach to media, think tanks, and select community, civic, educational, religious, business, and professional associations. In these ways the Council helps strengthen and expand the overall Arab-U.S. relationship.

***

Information from the 2010 Arab-US Policymakers Conference

On SUSRIS.com

• AUSPC Keynote – Amb Chas Freeman Opens Conference with “Misadventures” – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Geo-Political Dynamics: Endgame in Iraq – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Geo-Political Dynamics: The Iran Conundrum – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Regional Security Issues – Dr. Kathleen Hicks – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Defense Cooperation – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Educational Challenges – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Central Command Deputy, General John Allen – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – The Palestinian Future – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Energy: Sources, Supply and Security – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Saudi-US Relations: Ambassador Smith – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Prince Abdulaziz Bin Talal – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Saudi Ambassador’s Views on Relations – Amb Al-Jubeir – SUSRIS Oct, 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Prince Turki Al-Faisal on US-Saudi Relations – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Business and Financial Development – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – U.S.-Mideast Trade – Francisco Sanchez – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Arab League Policy Direction: Amb Hassouna – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010

American and Saudi Arabian business people and officials will gather in Atlanta in December for the second annual US-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum to explore greater economic collaboration between the two nations – specifically helping American businesses tap into the Saudi economic boom – according to conference organizers. The event, which follows the widely hailed success of the inaugural forum in Chicago last year, is set for December 5-7, 2011 at the Atlanta Omni Hotel.

“The US-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum is an incredible opportunity for Americans and Saudis to come together to take advantage of the current massive commercial expansion in the Kingdom,” said Mr. Omar Bahlaiwa, Secretary General of the Riyadh-based Committee for International Trade (CIT). The Committee is organizing the forum in partnership with the Washington-based U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council and the Saudi-US Trade Group (SUSTG) and in collaboration with the Saudi Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the U.S. Department of Commerce.

The forum follows the program established in Chicago in April 2010, which Bahlaiwa said was “very successful in bringing together American and Saudi business people and officials for dialogue and networking.” It will be a gathering of high-level government officials – numerous Saudi Ministers and U.S. Cabinet Secretaries, business leaders and representatives from enterprises on both sides. At the conclusion of last year’s forum, CIT chairman Abdulaziz Fahad told SUSRIS, “The idea that we’ve managed to bring together more than a thousand business people and policymakers in a two-day conference dedicated exclusively to Saudi-American relations, especially economic and commercial relations, is a significant achievement. The Forum is like events CIT has done in the past, but never on this scale in the United States. We’re grateful that so many Americans and Saudis were enthusiastic about the opportunities and came to participate.” He added, “American success depends on how much energy the American companies and authorities want to dedicate to maintaining its dominance. What we see now is a renewed effort to enhance American presence, and for American companies to seize the opportunities.”

The forum will include plenary sessions featuring the invited senior officials and business leaders as well as networking opportunities and concurrent sessions on sector-specific business topics, according to Bahlaiwa. “It will be a very well balanced chance to learn and to connect.”

***

Details:

The 2nd US-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum
Atlanta Omni Hotel, Atlanta, Georgia
December 5-7, 2011
Web: http://www.us-saudiforum.com

About the Forum:

Already the largest economy in the region and a key member of the G20, Saudi Arabia is undergoing an extraordinary economic boom. Massive public investment, rapid private-sector growth and new sector initiatives are driving an expansion projected to offer more than $1 trillion in trade and investment opportunities over the next decade.

This three-day Forum will highlight the U.S.-Saudi commercial and trade relationship and how U.S. companies can participate in Saudi Arabia’s expansion. It will also provide a unique platform for American and Saudi executives to establish new and lasting business ties.

The 2011 Forum will feature Davos-style panels, keynote speakers, and concurrent breakout sessions. Specific areas of opportunity for small and medium sized companies will be highlighted. Networking events and one-on-one matchmaking programs will enable companies to connect on an individual level and initiate new business relationships.

For information regarding the agenda and speakers as well as video, photos and media coverage of the 2010 U.S-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum in Chicago, IL please click here.

Speakers from Saudi Arabia to be invited include:

H.H. Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah Al-Saud, Minister of Education; 
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Minister of Finance; 
Abdullah Alireza, Minister of Commerce & Industry; 
Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabiah, Minister of Health
; Dr. Muhammad Al-Jasser, Governor of SAMA
; Dr. Hashim Yamani, President, King Abdullah City for Nuclear and Renewable Energy
; Adel Al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the U.S.
; Dr. Abdulrahman Al Saeed, Advisor to the Royal Court
; Khalid Al-Falih, President and CEO, Saudi Aramco

Speakers from the United States to be invited include:

John Bryson (Nominee), Secretary of Commerce
; Arnie Duncan, Secretary of Education;
 Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human
 Services;
 Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury
; Ron Kirk, United States Trade Representative
; General James B. Smith, U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
; Nathan Deal, Governor of Georgia
; Kasim Reed, Mayor of Atlanta
; Valerie Jarrett, Senior Advisor to President Obama

Industry sectors to be covered in breakout sessions include:

• Agriculture
• Education
• Energy/Renewable Energy
• Healthcare
• Information Technology
• Infrastructure
• Petrochemicals and Plastics Manufacturing
• Transportation and Logistics
• Water and Electricity

..for more visit www.US-SaudiForum.com

and the SUSRIS.com Special Section on the US-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum (Click Here)

A distinguished panel from the Gulf Research Center (GRC) will tackle the question “What Lies Ahead for America in Arabia and the Gulf?” on September 15, 2011 in a program organized by The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations (NCUSAR) in Washington. The panelists include GRC Chairman and Founder Dr. Abdulaziz Sager, GRC Foundation Director Dr. Christian Koch, and GRC Senior Advisor and Director of the Security and Defense Studies Department Dr. Mustafa Alani. NCUSAR President Dr. John Duke Anthony will serve as moderator. [Details below]

• Dr. Abdulaziz Sager is the Chairman and Founder of the Gulf Research Center. He is also President of Sager Group Holding in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Dr. Sager has a special research interest in Gulf strategic issues and is a regular contributor and commentator to international and regional media as well as the author of numerous publications. In 2003, Dr. Sager was appointed as a member of the Makkah Province Council. In addition, he serves on the advisory group for the 4th Arab Human Development Report for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and also as a Faculty of Economics and Administration of King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Articles by Dr.  Abdulaziz Sager

• Reforms the Arab Monarchies Cannot Avoid – Sager – SUSRIS – Apr 26, 2011
• The Gulf’s Unfinished Spring – Sager – SUSRIS – Apr 6, 2011
• A Changing Landscape in the Middle East – Sager – SUSRIS – Mar 31, 2011
• The Current Political Situation in the Middle East – Sager – SUSRIS – Feb 24, 2011

• Dr. Christian Koch is the Director of the Gulf Research Center Foundation in Geneva, Switzerland. Previously, he served as Director of International Studies at the Gulf Research Center in Dubai, UAE. Prior to joining the GRC, he worked as Head of the Strategic Studies Section at the Emirates Center for Strategic Studies and Research, Abu Dhabi. His work at the Gulf Research Center combines the various international and foreign relations issues of the GCC states with a particular interest in GCC-EU Relations. Dr. Koch regularly writes for the international media including the Financial Times, Handelsblatt, die Süddeutsche Zeitung, and Jane’s Sentinel Publications on Gulf issues, and his media appearances include the BBC, Deutsche Welle, and Al-Arabiyya television.

Articles by Dr. Christian Koch

• Strengthening an Enduring EU-GCC Partnership – SUSRIS – April 20, 2011
• What about the GCC itself? – Dr. Christian Koch – SUSRIS – Dec 17, 2009

• Dr. Mustafa Alani is the Senior Advisor and Director of the Security and Defence Studies Department at the Gulf Research Center (GRC). Before assuming his position at the GRC, Dr. Alani worked as a Senior Consultant on Middle East Security at the Middle East Security Program, The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies (RUSI) in London. He is a frequent lecturer on political and security developments in the Middle East region in general, with special focus on issues and developments affecting the Gulf states (the GCC, Iraq, Iran, and Yemen.) He is the author of several books and essays on security and defense, and contributes frequently to international news agencies and leading newspapers in English and Arabic.

• Dr. John Duke Anthony is the founding President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations, and currently serves on the United States Department of State Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy and its subcommittees on Sanctions and Trade and Investment. For the past 38 years he has been a consultant and regular lecturer on the Arabian Peninsula and the Gulf for the Departments of Defense and State. Dr. Anthony has served as an Adjunct Faculty Member at the Department of Defense’s Institute for Security Assistance Management (DISAM) since 1974, and as an Adjunct Professor at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies since 2006, where he teaches a course on “Politics of the Arabian Peninsula.”

About the Gulf Research Center

The Gulf Research Center (GRC) was established in 2000 as a public policy research institute/”think tank,” thereby joining a community of nearly 7,000 such centers worldwide. It currently has offices in Geneva, Switzerland; Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; and Cambridge, UK. In the University of Pennsylvania’s “Global Think Tank Survey” in 2010, the GRC walked away with more awards for excellence than any other sister research organization in the region. The Survey ranked the GRC second among the 333 think tanks in the Middle East and Arab North Africa and first in the eight-state Gulf region comprised of Iran, Iraq, and the six GCC countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. In so doing, the GRC bested such older, larger, and more widely recognized international “think tanks” as the Survey’s four top-rated policy research organizations in Israel — the Institute for National Security Studies, the Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, the Begin Sadat Center for Strategic Studies, and the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs — and, among others, the Brookings Institution in Doha, Qatar. Among the criteria that determine the final selection of the Survey’s annual think tank awards are the rigor and relevance of the research and analysis produced, the organization’s ability to produce new knowledge or alternative ideas on matters pertaining to public policy, and its efforts to contribute to positive change in its given fields of policy-related endeavor as well as its overall academic and media reputation.

Gulf Research Center Web Site

***

The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations invites you to attend

What Lies Ahead for America in Arabia and the Gulf?:
Analyses and Prognoses

Thursday, September 15, 2011
3:00pm – 5:00pm

Rayburn House Office Building, Room B-340
Washington, D.C.

Participating specialists include:

Dr. Abdulaziz Sager
Chairman and Founder, Gulf Research Center

Dr. Christian Koch
Director, Gulf Research Center Foundation

Dr. Mustafa Alani
Senior Advisor and Research Program Director, Gulf Research Center

Moderator:
Dr. John Duke Anthony
Founding President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

R.S.V.P. (Acceptances Only) via email to Programs@ncusar.org
INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WHEN YOU R.S.V.P.:
Name:
Phone:
Email:

Light refreshments will be served. If you have any questions you can call the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations at (202) 293-6466.

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT

FROM THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON U.S.-ARAB RELATIONS

20th Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference

OCTOBER 27-28, 2011

“Dynamics of Recent Events in the Arab World: Framing the Arab and U.S. Responses”

[SUSRIS subscribers -- first 25 -- will have their registration fee covered.]

We are pleased to inform you that on October 27-28, 2011, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations (www.ncusar.org) will host its 20th Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, located at 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW in Washington, DC.

Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, the first 25 SUSRIS subscribers to return a completed registration form to the National Council will be able to attend the Council’s conference free of charge (up to a $500 value). Included in this complimentary registration are all conference sessions, two luncheons, and access to some of the world’s top policymakers.

We are delighted to make this opportunity available to select SUSRIS subscribers. Last year’s conference had more than 1,000 registrants, and video and transcripts of the proceedings are available on the National Council’s website www.ncusar.org.

***

***

SESSION TOPICS AND TIMES

Thursday, October 27, 2011

8:50 – 9:00 a.m.: WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS

9:00 – 10:00 a.m.: KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY AMBASSADOR CHAS W. FREEMAN, JR.

10:00 – 11:15 a.m.: DYNAMICS OF DEFENSE COOPERATION

11:15 – 12:30 p.m.: ENERGY DYNAMICS

12:30 – 1:00 p.m.: NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY

1:00 – 2:15 p.m.: LUNCHEON KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY HRH PRINCE TURKI AL FAISAL AL SA’UD

2:15 – 3:45 p.m.: GEOPOLITICAL DYNAMICS (I): Iraq

3:45 – 5:00p.m.: GEOPOLITICAL DYNAMICS (II): Arab North Africa (The Maghreb) / Syria / Saudi Arabia / Yemen

6:30 – 8:30 p.m.: PRIVATE RECEPTION for Conference Sponsors, Speakers, VIPs, and Invited Guests Hosted by His Excellency Adel A. Al-Jubeir, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States.

Friday, October 28, 2011

9:00 – 10:15 a.m.: BUSINESS, INVESTMENT, AND FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT DYNAMICS AND PROSPECTS

10:15 – 11:45 a.m.: A VIEW FROM THE GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL (GCC)

11:45 – 12:15 p.m.: NETWORKING OPPORTUNITY

12:15 – 1:30 p.m.: LUNCHEON KEYNOTE ADDRESS

1:30 – 3:00 p.m.: GEOPOLITICAL DYNAMICS (III): Palestine

3:00 – 4:30 p.m.: GEOPOLITICAL DYNAMICS (IV): Iran

4:30 – 5:15 p.m.: WHITHER THE ARAB-U.S. RELATIONSHIP IN THE PERIOD AHEAD? POLICY DIRECTIONS FROM THE LEAGUE OF ARAB STATES

5:15 – 5:45 p.m.: LIBYA: The Way Forward

5:45 p.m.: CONCLUDING REMARKS AND ADJOURNMENT

VIEW THE COMPLETE SCHEDULE ON THE NATIONAL COUNCIL’S WEBSITE

***

To register for the October 2011 conference, download the registration form from the National Council’s website (http://ncusar.org/programs/20AUSPC-registration-form.pdf) and send it to the Council via fax (202-293-7770) or mail (NCUSAR, 1730 M St. NW, Suite 503, Washington, DC 20036).

In order to have your registration fees waived, please note at the bottom of the registration form that you are a “SUSRIS SUBSCRIBER”

The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations has set the dates for the 20th Annual Arab-US Policymakers Conference in Washington, D.C. This year’s event will be held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on October 27-28, 2011.

More information is available on the NCUSAR web site at: www.NCUSAR.org.

***

SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION:
http://ncusar.org/programs/20AUSPC-sponsor-info.pdf

REGISTRATION FORM:
http://ncusar.org/programs/20AUSPC-registration-form.pdf

TRANSCRIPTS & VIDEO FROM THE 2010 CONFERENCE:
http://ncusar.org/programs/2010auspc.html

***

Recently confirmed speakers:

HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Sa’ud

His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Sa’ud served as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States from September 13, 2005 until February 12, 2007. From 1977 to 2001, he served as the Director General of the General Intelligence Directorate, the Kingdom’s main foreign intelligence service. Prince Turki is one of the founders of the King Faisal Foundation and is the Chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh. Prince Turki serves as a member of the Boards of Trustees of the International Crisis Group and the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies.

Ambassador Ford M. Fraker

Ambassador Ford M. Fraker served as United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 2007 to 2009. Prior to his appointment, Ambassador Fraker worked a banker in the Middle East for more than 30 years. Ambassador Fraker founded Fraker & Co. in 1991, and in 1993, he joined MeesPierson Investment Finance (UK) Limited. In 1996, he co-founded Trinity Group Limited. He is now Senior Advisor and Chairman for the Middle East and North Africa group at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. L.P., a New York private-equity firm.

Dr. Abdullah K. Al-Shayji

Dr. Abdullah K. Al-Shayji is a Professor of International Relations and the Chairman of the Political Science Department at Kuwait University. He is a specialist in Gulf and U.S. politics. Dr. Al-Shayji is also a lecturer at Kuwait’s Mubarak Alabdullah Joint Command and Staff College, and the Kuwaiti Ministry of Foreign Affairs Diplomatic Institute. He has published over 30 articles in both Arabic and English on issues related to elections and the Kuwaiti parliamentary experience, democratization, and the external and internal factors affecting political reforms in the GCC states.

Ambassador Chas. W. Freeman, Jr.

Ambassador Chas. W. Freeman, Jr. is President Emeritus of the Middle East Policy Council. He served as United States Ambassador to Saudi Arabia during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and as Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs (1993-94), earning the Department of Defense’s highest public service awards for his roles in designing a NATO-centered post-Cold War European security system and in reestablishing defense and military relations with China. Ambassador Freeman is Chairman of the Board of Projects International, Inc., a Washington, DC-based business development firm.

Dr. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla

Dr. Abdulkhaleq Abdulla is a professor of political science at Emirates University and the lead author of the 2008 Arab Knowledge Report. He was a member of the Dubai Cultural Council, the general coordinator of the Gulf Development Forum, director of the research center at AlKhaleej newspaper, editor of the Gulf Strategic Report, editor of the Journal of Social Affairs, and a member of the Global Agenda Council on Population Growth in 2008 and 2009. Professor Abdulla is the author of several books, most recently “Narrative of Politics” and “The Gulf Regional System.” He has written more than 30 articles; the latest is “Sociopolitical Issues of the Arab Gulf Moment,” published by the London School of Economics in 2010.

Ms. Molly Williamson

Ms. Molly Williamson speaks extensively on US foreign policy, the interagency process, energy, economic and demographic factors affecting policy formulation, and US-Middle East relations, especially the Israel-Palestine conflict, Iran, and nuclear challenges. Williamson is a scholar with the Middle East Institute, a consultant, lectures at Johns Hopkins University Osher Institute, and is a Distinguished Scholar-In-Residence at the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations. She is a former Foreign Service Officer, having served six presidents, and achieved the rank of Career Minister. She is also a member of Georgetown University’s MSFS oral boards, a Board member of the American Foreign Service Association, and Board member of the American Academy of Diplomacy.

Conference Moderator and Facilitator

Dr. John Duke Anthony
President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

Dr. John Duke Anthony is the Founding President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations. He is also a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Defense’s Institute for Security Assistance Management, an Adjunct Professor at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, and a Member of the U.S. Department of State’s Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy (ACIEP) as well as the ACIEP’s Subcommittees on Sanctions and Trade and Investment.

***

About the National Council on US-Arab Relations

Founded in 1983, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations is an American non-profit, non-governmental, educational organization dedicated to improving American knowledge and understanding of the Arab world. The Council has been granted public charity status in accordance with Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. The National Council does not employ or retain a lobbyist.

Vision

The National Council’s vision is a relationship between the United States and its Arab partners, friends, and allies that rests on as solid and enduring a foundation as possible. Such a foundation, viewed from both ends of the spectrum, is one that would be characterized by strengthened and expanded strategic, economic, political, commercial, and defense cooperation ties; increased joint ventures; a mutuality of benefit; reciprocal respect for each other’s heritage and values; and overall acceptance of each other’s legitimate needs, concerns, interests, and objectives.

Mission

The National Council’s mission is educational. It seeks to enhance American awareness, knowledge, and understanding of the Arab countries, the Mideast, and the Islamic world. Its means for doing so encompass but are not limited to programs for leadership development, people-to-people exchanges, lectures, publications, an annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference, and the participation of American students and faculty in Arab world study experiences. As a public service, the Council also serves as an information clearinghouse and participant in national, state, and local grassroots outreach to media, think tanks, and select community, civic, educational, religious, business, and professional associations. In these ways the Council helps strengthen and expand the overall Arab-U.S. relationship.

***

Information from the 2010 Arab-US Policymakers Conference

On SUSRIS.com

• AUSPC Keynote – Amb Chas Freeman Opens Conference with “Misadventures” – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Geo-Political Dynamics: Endgame in Iraq – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Geo-Political Dynamics: The Iran Conundrum – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Regional Security Issues – Dr. Kathleen Hicks – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Defense Cooperation – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Educational Challenges – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Central Command Deputy, General John Allen – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – The Palestinian Future – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Energy: Sources, Supply and Security – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Saudi-US Relations: Ambassador Smith – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Prince Abdulaziz Bin Talal – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Saudi Ambassador’s Views on Relations – Amb Al-Jubeir – SUSRIS Oct, 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Prince Turki Al-Faisal on US-Saudi Relations – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Business and Financial Development – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – U.S.-Mideast Trade – Francisco Sanchez – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Arab League Policy Direction: Amb Hassouna – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT

FROM THE NATIONAL COUNCIL ON U.S.-ARAB RELATIONS

20th Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference

OCTOBER 27-28, 2011

“Dynamics of Recent Events in the Arab World: Framing the Arab and U.S. Responses”

We are pleased to inform you that on October 27-28, 2011, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations (www.ncusar.org) will host its 20th Annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, located at 1300 Pennsylvania Ave. NW in Washington, DC.

Thanks to the generosity of an anonymous donor, the first 25 SUSRIS subscribers to return a completed registration form to the National Council will be able to attend the Council’s conference free of charge (up to a $500 value). Included in this complimentary registration are all conference sessions, two Luncheons, and access to some of the world’s top policymakers.

We are delighted to make this opportunity available to select SUSRIS subscribers. Last year’s conference had more than 1,000 registrants, and video and transcripts of the proceedings are available on the National Council’s website www.ncusar.org.

***

***

To register for the October 2011 conference, download the registration form from the National Council’s website (http://ncusar.org/programs/20AUSPC-registration-form.pdf) and send it to the Council via fax (202-293-7770) or mail (NCUSAR, 1730 M St. NW, Suite 503, Washington, DC 20036).

In order to have your registration fees waived, please note at the bottom of the registration form that you are a “SUSRIS SUBSCRIBER”

The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations has set the dates for the 20th Annual Arab-US Policymakers Conference in Washington, D.C. This year’s event will be held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on October 27-28, 2011.

More information is available on the NCUSAR web site at: www.NCUSAR.org.

***

SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION:
http://ncusar.org/programs/20AUSPC-sponsor-info.pdf

REGISTRATION FORM:
http://ncusar.org/programs/20AUSPC-registration-form.pdf

TRANSCRIPTS & VIDEO FROM THE 2010 CONFERENCE:
http://ncusar.org/programs/2010auspc.html

***

Recently confirmed speakers:

HRH Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Sa’ud

His Royal Highness Prince Turki Al Faisal Al Sa’ud served as the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States from September 13, 2005 until February 12, 2007. From 1977 to 2001, he served as the Director General of the General Intelligence Directorate, the Kingdom’s main foreign intelligence service. Prince Turki is one of the founders of the King Faisal Foundation and is the Chairman of the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh. Prince Turki serves as a member of the Boards of Trustees of the International Crisis Group and the Oxford Center for Islamic Studies.

Mr. Robert Lacey

Mr. Robert Lacey is a British historian noted for his original research, which gets him close to – and often living alongside – his subjects. In 1978 he took his family to live in Jeddah where he wrote The Kingdom: Arabia & the House of Sa’ud (1982), his acclaimed study of Saudi Arabia in the oil boom. His recent work Inside the Kingdom: Kings, Clerics, Modernists, Terrorists, and the Struggle for Saudi Arabia (2009) brings the story up to date and has been praised by the Financial Times as “a book of startling insights . . . Lacey’s sympathetic engagement with the struggles, triumphs and defeats of average Saudi men and women makes an important contribution to building greater understanding between Saudi Arabia and the West.”

Ms. Molly Williamson

Ms. Molly Williamson speaks extensively on US foreign policy, the interagency process, energy, economic and demographic factors affecting policy formulation, and US-Middle East relations, especially the Israel-Palestine conflict, Iran, and nuclear challenges. Williamson is a scholar with the Middle East Institute, a consultant, lectures at Johns Hopkins University Osher Institute, and is a Distinguished Scholar-In-Residence at the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations. She is a former Foreign Service Officer, having served six presidents, and achieved the rank of Career Minister. She is also a member of Georgetown University’s MSFS oral boards, a Board member of the American Foreign Service Association, and Board member of the American Academy of Diplomacy.

Conference Moderator and Facilitator

Dr. John Duke Anthony
President & CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

Dr. John Duke Anthony is the Founding President and Chief Executive Officer of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations. He is also a Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, an Adjunct Professor at the Department of Defense’s Institute for Security Assistance Management, an Adjunct Professor at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service’s Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, and a Member of the U.S. Department of State’s Advisory Committee on International Economic Policy (ACIEP) as well as the ACIEP’s Subcommittees on Sanctions and Trade and Investment.

***

About the National Council on US-Arab Relations

Founded in 1983, the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations is an American non-profit, non-governmental, educational organization dedicated to improving American knowledge and understanding of the Arab world. The Council has been granted public charity status in accordance with Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. All contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. The National Council does not employ or retain a lobbyist.

Vision

The National Council’s vision is a relationship between the United States and its Arab partners, friends, and allies that rests on as solid and enduring a foundation as possible. Such a foundation, viewed from both ends of the spectrum, is one that would be characterized by strengthened and expanded strategic, economic, political, commercial, and defense cooperation ties; increased joint ventures; a mutuality of benefit; reciprocal respect for each other’s heritage and values; and overall acceptance of each other’s legitimate needs, concerns, interests, and objectives.

Mission

The National Council’s mission is educational. It seeks to enhance American awareness, knowledge, and understanding of the Arab countries, the Mideast, and the Islamic world. Its means for doing so encompass but are not limited to programs for leadership development, people-to-people exchanges, lectures, publications, an annual Arab-U.S. Policymakers Conference, and the participation of American students and faculty in Arab world study experiences. As a public service, the Council also serves as an information clearinghouse and participant in national, state, and local grassroots outreach to media, think tanks, and select community, civic, educational, religious, business, and professional associations. In these ways the Council helps strengthen and expand the overall Arab-U.S. relationship.

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Information from the 2010 Arab-US Policymakers Conference

On SUSRIS.com

• AUSPC Keynote – Amb Chas Freeman Opens Conference with “Misadventures” – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Geo-Political Dynamics: Endgame in Iraq – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Geo-Political Dynamics: The Iran Conundrum – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Regional Security Issues – Dr. Kathleen Hicks – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Defense Cooperation – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Educational Challenges – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Central Command Deputy, General John Allen – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – The Palestinian Future – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Energy: Sources, Supply and Security – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Saudi-US Relations: Ambassador Smith – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Prince Abdulaziz Bin Talal – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Saudi Ambassador’s Views on Relations – Amb Al-Jubeir – SUSRIS Oct, 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Prince Turki Al-Faisal on US-Saudi Relations – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Business and Financial Development – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – U.S.-Mideast Trade – Francisco Sanchez – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Arab League Policy Direction: Amb Hassouna – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010

SAVE THE DATE

The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations has set the dates for the 20th Annual Arab-US Policymakers Conference in Washington, D.C. This year’s event will be held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center on October 27-28, 2011.

More information is available on the NCUSAR web site at: www.NCUSAR.org.

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Information from the 2010 Arab-US Policymakers Conference

On SUSRIS.com

• AUSPC Keynote – Amb Chas Freeman Opens Conference with “Misadventures” – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Geo-Political Dynamics: Endgame in Iraq – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Geo-Political Dynamics: The Iran Conundrum – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Regional Security Issues – Dr. Kathleen Hicks – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Defense Cooperation – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Educational Challenges – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Central Command Deputy, General John Allen – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – The Palestinian Future – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Energy: Sources, Supply and Security – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Saudi-US Relations: Ambassador Smith – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Prince Abdulaziz Bin Talal – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Saudi Ambassador’s Views on Relations – Amb Al-Jubeir – SUSRIS Oct, 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Prince Turki Al-Faisal on US-Saudi Relations – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Panel – Business and Financial Development – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – U.S.-Mideast Trade – Francisco Sanchez – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010
• AUSPC Keynote – Arab League Policy Direction: Amb Hassouna – SUSRIS – Oct 25, 2010

On SUSRIStube.com: [www.SUSRIStube.com]

• Talking with author Robert Lacey
• SUSRIS Talks with Ambassador Chas Freeman

In the Media:

• Kingdom wants a WMD-free Mideast, says Turki – Arab News – Oct 24
• Saudi Ambassador Emphasizes the Kingdom’s Role as a Regional Peace Maker – PR Newswire – Oct 22
• Saudi Prince:  Israel is Americs’ sewer in the Middle East – Ynet News – Oct 24
• Saudi prince blasts US for not curbing Israel – Jerusalem Post – Oct 23

The U.S.-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum, originally set for May 23-25, 2011 in Atlanta has been postponed to the fall, according to conference organizers. The event, described in a SUSRIS article last month, will bring together Saudi and American business people for networking opportunities and panels of top level officials to promote collaboration between the two nations.

The forum web site stated the postponement was due to scheduling conflicts among high-level officials who were set to participate. Information about the conference is online at www.us-saudiforum.com. SUSRIS will carry additional details as they are available and announce the revised forum date.

The forum is the second iteration of an event launched last year in Chicago. About 1100 Americans and Saudis participated in the “Davos”-style panels, keynote addresses and concurrent breakout sections.

2010 U.S.-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum, Chicago

UPDATE:  CONFERENCE POSTPONED – LINK HERE FOR DETAILS

Editor’s Note:

The next US-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum is set for May 2011 in Atlanta, Georgia. In February SUSRIS shared the story of last year’s forum in Chicago and a preview of the Atlanta event through an interview with Mr. Omar Bahlaiwa, Secretary General of the Committee for International Trade, a forum co-sponsor. And what was he telling American business people about the next US-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum – things that might inspire them to go to Atlanta in May?

The Saudis are coming with a big package of opportunities to explore and take advantage of, to have a share of the tremendous commercial deals that are being made. We are putting together a great deal of information on the Forum web site, but really the best way – aside from getting on a plane and coming to the Kingdom – is to register for the Atlanta Forum. Only by listening to the programs and talking to the business people there will they be able to become a part of this opportunity. I won’t call it a once in a lifetime opportunity, but realistically speaking, the time is now to get connected with what is happening in the Kingdom. These are long-term opportunities. But business people know that you have to get in on the ground floor, and who knows when it will happen again?

The 2011 Forum was highlighted in an article by Arab News today with updated guest speaker list, featuring senior officials from the Saudi and American governments, including numerous ministers and cabinet secretaries.

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2010 U.S.-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum, Chicago

JEDDAH: Government ministers and top business leaders from Saudi Arabia are set to take part in a major trade conference to be held in the US next month.

The second annual US-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum will take place at Atlanta Marriott Marquis from May 23 to 25.

It will explore opportunities for greater economic collaboration between the two nations, organizers said.

More than 350 Saudi and 750 American businesspeople attended the first forum held in Chicago in April 2010.

In keeping with the first forum, this year’s event also will feature Davos-style panels, keynote addresses, and concurrent breakout sessions.

The forum will highlight how US companies can benefit from the ongoing economic expansion in the Kingdom, a key member of G20.

Massive public investment, rapid private-sector growth and new sector initiatives are driving the expansion projected to offer more than $1 trillion in trade and investment opportunities over the next decade.

The three-day event will provide a platform for American and Saudi executives to forge new and lasting business ties through networking events and one-on-one matchmaking initiatives.

Education Minister Prince Faisal bin Abdullah Al-Saud, Finance Minister Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Commerce and Industry Minister Abdullah Zainal Alireza, Health Minister Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency Gov. Muhammad Al-Jasser and Saudi Aramco President & CEO Khalid Al-Falih are among top speakers from Saudi Arabia invited for the event.

Industry sectors to be covered in breakout sessions include: Water and electricity, agriculture, education, energy/renewable energy, healthcare, information technology, infrastructure, petrochemicals and plastics manufacturing, transportation and logistics.

The following officials are also expected to address the event: Hashim Yamani, president of King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy, Abdulrahman Al-Tuwaijri, chairman of the Capital Market Authority, Saud Al-Saleh, secretary general of the Supreme Economic Council, Faisal Al-Sugair, president of the General Authority for Civil Aviation, Khaled Al-Molhem, general manager of Saudi Arabian Airlines, Princess Loulwa Al-Faisal, vice chairman of Effat University, Adel Al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabian ambassador to the US, and Abdulrahman Al-Saeed, adviser to the Royal Court.

The US speakers include: Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner, Secretary of Education Arnie Duncan, Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, administrator of the Small Business Administration Karen Mills, Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman, Undersecretary of Commerce Francisco Sanchez, US Ambassador to Saudi Arabia General James B. Smith, Speaker of the House of the State of Georgia David Ralston, Mayor of Atlanta Kasim Reed and Tom Bell, chairman of SecurAmerica and chairman of the US Chamber of Commerce.

The organizers are Committee for International Trade at the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce, US-Saudi Arabian Business Council and the Saudi-US Trade Group.

It will also focus on opportunities for small and medium-sized companies.

The US is Saudi Arabia’s largest trading partner and Saudi Arabia is the largest US export market in the Middle East.

Source: Arab News

SUSRIS is pleased to present for your consideration this event announcement on behalf of the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations (NCUSAR). Please direct queries or registrations to NCUSAR directly.

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The National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations cordially invites you to a timely discussion:

What You Need to Know Now: The Arabian Dimension in Today’s Mideast Turmoil

Wednesday, March 2, 2011
12:00 – 2:30 pm
Miller & Chevalier
655 Fifteenth Street, NW, Suite 900
Washington, DC 20005-5701
Enter at 1450 G St. NW and check-in at lobby.

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Participants include:

Moderator:
Dr. John Duke Anthony
President and CEO, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations

Dr. Herman Franssen
President, International Energy Associates,
and Senior Associate, Energy and National Security Program,
Center for Strategic and International Studies

Dr. David E. Long
Consultant on Middle East affairs and international terrorism,
and author of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Mr. Robert Lacey
Historian and author of The Kingdom and Inside the Kingdom

Mr. Peter A. Iseman
Historian and International Educator

***

R.S.V.P. (Acceptances Only) promptly via email to RSVP@ncusar.org

SPACE IS LIMITED – PLEASE RESPOND PROMPTLY.

INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WHEN YOU R.S.V.P.:

Name:
Phone:
Email:

The discussion will be held at the Washington, DC office of Miller & Chevalier. Enter at 1450 G St. NW, check-in at the front-desk, and you will be escorted to the room. A government-issued, photo identification is required for entrance. A light lunch will be provided. Members of the media are welcome.

If you have any questions you can call the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations at (202) 293-6466.

The Committee for International Trade of the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Riyadh and the U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council in Washington have announced a major conference set for this spring in Chicago addressing bilateral business opportunities. The two-day event, presented in collaboration with the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Commerce and the U.S. Department of Commerce, will bring together distinguished speakers and panelists who will address a broad spectrum of topics in the arena of U.S.-Saudi business opportunities. SUSRIS is pleased today to bring you information about the Forum’s focus and a list of some of the invited personalities, announced by the organizers, so you can mark your calendar to attend this extraordinary event.

U.S.-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum
April 28-29, 2010
Sheraton Hotel and Towers
Chicago Illinois

In light of Saudi Arabia’s growing role in global financial and economic issues and the need for a collaborative U.S.-Saudi relationship in these areas, this two-day event will provide an opportunity for senior businesspeople and high-level government officials from both countries to discuss prospects for greater economic cooperation as well as develop new and lasting business ties.

The Forum will feature Davos-style panels, keynote addresses, and concurrent breakout sessions. The event will have broad media coverage and offer successful networking opportunities with an emphasis on identifying specific commercial and investment opportunities, particularly for small and medium sized companies.

Invited Speakers

• H.H. Prince Faisal bin Abdullah, Minister of Education
• Ibrahim Al-Assaf, Minister of Finance*
• Abdullah Alireza, Minister of Commerce and Industry*
• Ali Al-Naimi, Minister of Petroleum & Minerals*
• Muhammad Al-Jasser, Governor, SAMA*
• Amr Dabbagh, Governor, SAGIA
• Abdulrahman Al-Tuwaijri, Governor, Capital Market Authority
• Adel Al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabian Ambassador to U.S.
• Dr. Abdulrahman Al Saeed, Advisor, Royal Court
• Gary Locke, Secretary of Commerce
• Timothy Geithner, Secretary of the Treasury
• Steven Chu, Secretary of Energy
• Ron Kirk, U.S. Trade Representative
• Karen Mills, Administrator, SBA
• James Smith, U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia

* Confirmed

Sessions will feature senior executives from U.S. companies currently engaged successfully in the Saudi market along with Saudi government or private-sector individuals expert in the field. Specific and immediate business opportunities will be presented offering profit-making potential for U.S. firms. Breakout topics will include:

• Saudi Arabia’s Energy Sector
• Finance and Investment
• Information Technology
• Water and Electricity
• Petrochemicals and Plastics Manufacturing
• Saudi Arabia’s Construction Sector
• Small and Medium Sized Enterprises