Jeddah-Amlak

The 14th Jeddah Economic Forum, held recently at the Hilton Jeddah under the theme “Development Through Youth,” was a great success, with the participation of 42 ministers, officials, and local and international figures, and attended by more than (2,000) people, led by His Highness Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Makkah Region, and His Highness Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, President of the General Authority for Tourism and Antiquities.

Youth and Development
His Royal Highness Prince Mishaal bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Makkah Region, called on participants in the Jeddah Economic Forum—including researchers, economists, and decision-makers—to come up with ideas and recommendations that would help create job opportunities for young people and empower them to lead development and investment projects in both the public and private sectors.
Prince Mishaal highlighted the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s global standing and international economic clout, which have made it one of the most influential nations in the global economy, thanks to its wise leadership dedicated to achieving development and economic well-being for Saudi citizens.
He highlighted the economic, human, and political resources with which God has blessed the Kingdom, as well as its position in global oil markets—owing to its possession of the world’s largest oil reserves. The Kingdom is considered one of the world’s largest economies and is a major contributor to the International Monetary Fund, which has enabled it to become a member of the G20 and a key partner in promoting financial and international stability, and has contributed to the global economy’s recovery from the economic crisis it has faced in recent years.
He noted that the Kingdom takes pride in its young men and women, who have demonstrated to the world their competence and their academic and professional qualifications; they are the ones on whom the Kingdom relies—after Allah, the Almighty—to implement the state’s plans and its developmental and economic projects. He pointed out that, from this perspective, the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosquesand His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, and His Royal Highness the Second Deputy Prime Minister—may God protect them—have sought to make the best possible investment in this precious segment of society through education, training, and professional development. The state has allocated a quarter of its annual budget to education, believing in its importance as the cornerstone upon which thethe progress of nations.

Incentives and Facilitation
His Excellency Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabiah, Minister of Commerce and Industry, highlighted the Kingdom’s competitive advantages and the incentives and facilitation measures it offers for foreign investment, emphasizing in his speech the importance of the initiative by businessmen and young entrepreneurs to establish new projects in various regions of the Kingdom, as each region has its own competitive advantages and natural resources, He noted that industrial cities have provided infrastructure that attracts development projects—particularly industrial and industry-supporting projects—which supports the Kingdom’s efforts to localize its needs and achieve balanced development.
He expressed his honor at participating in the forum, highlighting the presentations and discussions he engaged in as a means of enriching the economic landscape—which is part of the Kingdom’s trade and industry mission—and reaffirming the leadership’s commitment, led by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, to supporting and fostering this sector.
He reviewed various types of projects, including those related to infrastructure, the expedited issuance of industrial licenses, and the use of electronic technology to speed up these procedures.
He emphasized the role of organizing trade and industrial exhibitions and events, revealing that within three months, an electronic registry will be implemented as part of efforts to eliminate paper and routine procedures. Through this system, all government sectors and banks will be reviewed via a fully electronic link, eliminating the need to visitthe Ministry of Commerce and Industry or liaising with various relevant government sectors.
He predicted that 16,000 trademarks would be registered and that there would be a major transformation in corporate procedures across the Kingdom’s various regions and provinces, noting that all these measures and developments are intended to serve the trade and industry sector, which is undergoing qualitative development through the implementation of quality standards in its operations.
Statement from the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Saleh, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, emphasized that the process of development through youth involves several parties, including the family, all educational institutions—from general, higher, and vocational education—as well as business owners and financial stakeholders. He expressed his deep thanks and gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, who established a culture dialogue, and the forum continued in this vein during the closing session, which focused on national dialogue with the participation of His Excellency Dr. Faisal bin Abdulrahman bin Muammar, Secretary-General of the King Abdulaziz Center for National Dialogue, alongside the youth… the cornerstone of development and the enduring hope for construction and reconstruction. He also thanked Their Excellencies the ministers who graced the forum’s opening ceremony, as well as the members of the forum’s Executive Committee.

National and International Speakers
The list of speakers included Saleh Abdullah Kamel, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Dr. Lama bint Abdulaziz Al-Suleiman, a member of the Jeddah Chamber’s Board of Directors; Engineer Matar bin Mohammed Al-Tayer, Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO of the Roads and Transport Authority in the Government of Dubai; andProfessor Javier Sala Martín of Columbia University; Dr. Boutros Klink, CEO of Standard Chartered Bank; as well as Claude Samadia, former Director-General of the World Economic Forum; Andrew Cleaves, General Manager of National Express in the United States; Dr. Rizal Afandi Luqman, Deputy Minister of International Economic and Financial Cooperation at the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs in Indonesia;Dean of the Academy at the Land Transport Authority of Singapore, Mohinder Singh; Chief Economist at Al-Ahli Commercial Bank, Saeed Al-Sheikh; Chairman and CEO of Al-Banawi Group, Hussein Al-Banawi; President of Citizen Entrepreneurs, Gregos Sintelis; General Manager of the Human Resources Development FundHuman Resources Fund in the Kingdom, Ibrahim bin Fahd Al-Ma’iqal; the Director General of the Institute of Technical Education and Educational Services in Singapore, Lim Boon Teong; and the Secretary General of the Trade Committee at the Council of Saudi Chambers, Omar Ahmed Bahliwa.
The list also included Edward Burton, CEO of the Saudi-American Business Council; Mark O’Toole, Managing Partner for the “Europe–Middle East–India – Africa” region, Mark O’Toole; the Assistant Deputy President for Licensing at the Kingdom’s General Authority for Tourism and Antiquities, Engineer Ahmed Al-Issa; and the Director General of MCI Dubai, Samira Ishaq.