The U.S.-Saudi Business Council (USSBC) and supporting partners led a day-long program on Saudi market opportunities on December 5, 2023 in Lafayette, Louisiana, attended by more than 80 representatives from area firms involved in the oil and gas sector.
Featured speakers at the event included Susanne Lendman, Interim President and CEO of the USSBC; Sameer Yousef, Supervisor, Strategic Sourcing of Aramco Americas; Mandi Mitchell, CEO of Lafayette Economic Development Authority; Charlotte Conerly, Acting Director of U.S. Export Assistance Center, New Orleans; Tony Khoury, Partner at KN Legal; and Ishtiaq Hussain, Director at the USSBC.
The morning program of presentations and discussions was followed by a networking luncheon sponsored by Council member KN Legal and an afternoon session of one-on-one meetings of attending firms with Aramco Americas, the USSBC, and KN Legal. Approximately 25 individual meetings were held in the afternoon.
Ms. Lendman captured the theme of the day’s speakers by noting the rapid pace of forward progress being made in Saudi Arabia across all aspects of business and private life. She remarked, “the one constant you can expect in the Saudi market is change. The change is on every front – physical infrastructure, industry development, business reforms, culture and social openings, and much more. It’s exciting to watch. It’s even more exciting to be a part of.”
