The U.S.-Saudi Business Council organized a private-sector Business Roundtable in Riyadh on January 20, 2026, in cooperation with the Federation of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and the Saudi General Authority of Foreign Trade (GAFT). The roundtable was held on the sidelines of the annual U.S.-Saudi Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) Meetings and brought together senior government officials and private-sector representatives from both countries for a focused exchange on trade and investment priorities.
The roundtable was moderated by Charles Hallab, President and CEO of the U.S.-Saudi Business Council, and hosted at the Federation of Saudi Chambers. Opening and keynote participation included Waleed Alorainan, Secretary General of the Federation of Saudi Chambers; H.E. Abdulaziz Al-Sakran, Deputy Governor for International Relations at GAFT; and Bryant Trick, Assistant United States Trade Representative. Senior members of the Saudi and U.S. government delegations attending the TIFA meetings also participated in the discussion, alongside a cross-section of U.S. and Saudi private-sector stakeholders.
Designed as a structured forum for private-sector engagement, the roundtable provided participants with an opportunity to share practical perspectives on barriers affecting bilateral trade and investment. Discussions addressed issues including regulatory transparency, tariffs, labor mobility, investment frameworks, and U.S.-side barriers affecting Saudi investment, with an emphasis on identifying concrete challenges, real-world examples, and areas for potential follow-up.
The dialogue was intended to complement the broader TIFA process by providing direct private-sector input to inform ongoing trade and investment discussions between the two governments. The roundtable took place alongside the 9th Meeting of the Saudi–U.S. Trade and Investment Council, which concluded with agreement on 31 bilateral initiatives covering areas such as standards, food regulations, intellectual property, digital trade, and artificial intelligence.
Through convenings such as this roundtable, the U.S.-Saudi Business Council continues to support structured, solutions-oriented engagement between the private sector and policymakers, reinforcing its role as a platform for advancing practical U.S.-Saudi economic cooperation.
