Patronage of the Emir of Sharqiya, participation of 7 ministers and governors and discussion of more than 20 working papers ... December 25

The organizing committee of Al-Ahsa Investment Forum 2013 has finally announced the preliminary program for the agenda and events of the forum organized by Al-Ahsa Chamber in cooperation with strategic partner Saudi Aramco and sponsored by His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Eastern Province, on Wednesday and Thursday, 22 and 23 Safar 1435 AH corresponding to 25 and 26 December 2013.

Broad participation
In a press conference held recently at Al-Ahsa Chamber in the presence of Mr. Saleh bin Hassan Al-Afaleq, Chairman of the Chamber, the organizing committee indicated that the forum will witness wide participation from a number of Their Highnesses princes, ministers and governors of state bodies and institutions, through 7 main working sessions that include their speeches and interventions in addition to the presentation of more than 20 specialized working papers covering all the main themes and aspects addressed by the forum in its third edition.

Mr. Saleh Al-Afaleq, President of Al-Ahsa Chamber, explained that the generous patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz, Governor of the Eastern Province, and the continuous follow-up of His Highness Prince Badr bin Mohammed bin Jalawi, Governor of Al-Ahsa, will provide a supportive view and a strong launch for the forum, which will help it achieve its goals, noting that the strategic partnership of Saudi Aramco in organizing the forum, focusing on the energy axis of the oil and gas industries, will give the forum a global dimension that increases its momentum and presence in the national developmental economic scene, in conjunction with other important axes of the forum such as agriculture, industry, and tourism, in addition to its other important axes, which are agriculture, industry, and tourism. Al-Afaleq revealed that His Highness Prince Badr bin Mohammed bin Jalawi, Governor of Al-Ahsa, Chairman of the Higher Committee of the Al-Ahsa Investment Forum 2013, chaired the first meeting of the Higher Committee to discuss the latest preparations and final touches to launch the Forum in its third edition on time.

A qualitative leap
For his part, Dr. Ihsan Buhleika, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Forum, pointed out that Al-Ahsa is witnessing a qualitative leap in economic activity as it occupies a strategic location and hoards a great deal of diverse resources and investment opportunities, indicating that the forum will contribute to enhancing the growing commercial and tourism movement in Al-Ahsa, which enhances the successive steps of development and development in the region, stressing that the forum is not only for Al-Ahsa Chamber but a general development initiative made by all the people of Al-Ahsa to attract large investments and benefit from its high comparative advantages.

He pointed out that the forum program begins with the opening ceremony honored by His Royal Highness Prince Saud bin Naif bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, Governor of the Eastern Province, which begins with the Holy Quran, then a film on investment in Al-Ahsa, the speech of Al-Ahsa Chamber presented by Mr. Saleh bin Hassan Al-Afaleq, Chairman of the Board of Directors, then the speech of the strategic partner of the forum, Saudi Aramco, then the speech of the Minister of Commerce and Industry, H.E. Dr. Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al-Rabieh, then the speech of His Highness the patron of the forum, the Emir of the Eastern Province, after which the honor of the companies sponsoring and supporting the forum will be awarded and the launch of the luncheon party in honor of the patron. Sessions Program
He added that the program of the forum sessions will start the next day with the first session entitled: Industry in Al-Ahsa, in which the keynote speaker will be Engineer Walid bin Abdul Majeed Abu Khaled, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry for Industrial Affairs, moderated by Mr. Fahd bin Khaled Al-Arji, Chairman of Fahd Al-Arji Group, and will witness the presentation of three main interventions, indicating that the second session will be on investment in energy, in which the keynote speaker is Mr. Ahmed bin Othman Al-Khowaiter, Executive Director of New Business Development at Saudi Aramco.

He pointed out that the third session will be on investment in tourism and the keynote speaker will be HRH Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Chairman of the Saudi Commission for Tourism and Antiquities, moderated by Mr. Abdullatif Mohammed Al-Afaleq, CEO of Al-Ahsa Tourism and Entertainment Company, and will include four working papers and key interventions. Buhaila pointed out that the second day of the forum will continue the series of sessions with the fourth session on agriculture and agricultural industrialization, and the keynote speaker is H.E. Dr. Fahad bin Abdulrahman Balghunaim, Minister of Agriculture, while the fifth session deals with the theme of investment in housing and real estate finance, and the keynote speaker is H.E. Dr. Shuwaish bin Saud Al-Duwaihi, Minister of Housing.

Integrated exhibition
He pointed out that the forum includes an integrated exhibition to present investment opportunities in Al-Ahsa, in addition to an open platform to present opportunities and make deals between companies, investors and businessmen, pointing out that the forum will witness an open discussion at the end of its sessions, followed by the issuance of recommendations and the reading of the final statement of the Al-Ahsa Investment Forum 2013.
It is noteworthy that the Al-Ahsa Investment Forum in its two previous editions contributed to attracting investors and major Saudi and Gulf companies to the region, where the investments pumped into the region's economy varied in the sectors of tourism, real estate, industry and the commercial sector through the establishment of a number of investment and tourism projects and modern complexes.