The U.S.-Saudi Business Council (USSBC) in partnership with the Saudi Ministry of Investment (MISA) and the U.S. Commercial Service, Riyadh hosted a successful executive discussion and networking program with the Saudi delegations to SelectUSA on May 3rd, 2023 in Washington, D.C. The program highlighted U.S.-Saudi partnership opportunities for collaboration and innovation and featured a keynote address by H.E. Badr Albadr, Deputy Minister of Investment.
The event, hosted by USSBC Board member Honeywell, brought together over 130 executives from U.S. companies and from the Saudi private and public sector.
The program featured two delegations of Saudi companies coming to the SelectUSA Investment Summit held by the U.S. Department of Commerce, the top event facilitating investment in the U.S. by foreign investors. One delegation was organized by MISA and included Saudi corporations and investment companies. The second delegation was organized by the U.S. Commercial Service and comprised representatives from Saudi Arabia’s startup ecosystem, including women in the technology sector.
Others in attendance included USSBC members and Board Members and representatives from the Saudi Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Industry and Minerals Resources, Monsha’at, the National Competitiveness Center, Public Investment Fund, Saudi EXIM Bank, and the Saudi Data and Artificial Intelligence.
During his keynote address, H.E. Badr Albadr highlighted the Kingdom’s transformation and its commitment to attracting U.S. investment into the region. He also stressed the importance of enhancing Saudi investment into the U.S., pointing out that this is the largest Saudi delegation ever to attend SelectUSA.
The other distinguished speakers were Ms. Stacey Bernards, Vice President of Government Relations, Honeywell; Mr. James Golsen, Counselor for Commercial Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Riyadh; Mr. Yahya Alharthi, Director of International Relations, Saudi EXIM Bank; and Dr. Hamad Alomar, Founding Chairman, Mashafi Holding Group. The event was moderated by Mr. Charles Hallab, Founder and Principal, Barrington Global and Board Member of the USSBC.
The speakers were followed by a panel discussion on the U.S.-Saudi private sector relationship and opportunities for growth and innovation, where the panelists shared their experiences in Saudi Arabia and discussed potential avenues to enhance private sector collaboration between the two nations and their business communities.
The panelists for this session included Ms. Lisa Schroeter, Global Director Trade & Investment Policy, Dow; Mr. Fahad Alhussain, Partner, Seedford Partners; Ms. Emon Shakoor, Founder & CEO, Blossom Accelerator; and Mr. Tom TerBush, Vice President, EPRI.
Commenting on the event, Susanne Lendman, USSBC Interim CEO and President, said “this networking program was an important opportunity for the private sectors of both Saudi Arabia and the United States to explore areas of collaboration and build stronger business relationships. We believe that such partnerships will continue to play a key role in driving innovation and economic growth, particularly in the Kingdom, and are excited to continue working with our Saudi and U.S. partners to identify and pursue mutually beneficial business opportunities.”
The program also included a question-and-answer session and an exclusive tour of Honeywell’s Innovation Center, where attendees were given the opportunity to learn about Honeywell’s contributions in advanced manufacturing, supply chain optimization, and energy efficiency.
