The Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce is organizing the “Small and Medium Enterprises Forum” at its headquarters in Dammam on Thursday, November 22, under the theme “Venture Capital: A Gateway to Empowerment.” The forum will be held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Nayef bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Eastern Province.

For his part, Abdulhakim bin Hamad Al-Ammar Al-Khalidi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce, the Prince’s patronage of the forum, emphasizing that His Highness’s patronage represents genuine support for the Chamber’s activities and events, and noting that the Chamber’s events always receive His Highness’s patronage and attention.

He explained that the forum will discuss a number of important and essential papers in the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) sector, based on his vision of strengthening the role of venture capital in supporting this vital sector, noting that the forum’s mission reflects the concept of venture capital among investors in small and medium-sized enterprises, which will serve as a major source of investment channels.

Al-Khalidi noted that the forum aims to highlight the role of the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce as a key sponsor of this sector at the regional level, and to raise awareness of the importance of venture capital among investors and the SME sector in the Kingdom in general and in the Eastern Province in particular, as well as to draw on distinguished and pioneering global experiences in the field of venture capital to support the SME sector.

He noted that one of the forum’s most important objectives is to identify the best economic sectors in which companies in this sector can invest and to develop a long-term plan outlining the forms of support available to them, to propose the concept of partnerships and alliances for SMEs as a strategic option, and to develop the managerial and technical skills of these enterprises’ owners.

Al-Khalidi stated that the forum will feature active participation from experienced professionals and speakers in this field, who will highlight to attendees the importance of supporting this sector and its significance to the economy, The forum will also focus on forms of official support to achieve the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.