During the meeting of the General Assembly of the Chamber: Al-Otaishan said that Asharqia Chamber would continue to enhance the quality of services provided to the business sector.
The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Asharqia Chamber, Abdulrahman bin Saleh Al-Otishan, said that during the past year of 2017, the Chamber maintained its excellence in the field of business interests. For example, the launch of several programs and initiatives that is to revitalize the investment environment in the region, which corresponds with the vision of the Kingdom of 2030. Moreover, it is providing provision of consultations in various fields, holding forums and exhibitions of all kinds, and seeking development and enhancement of services that are provided to its subscribers and beneficiaries in accordance with modern technology.
This came during the general assembly meeting that was held on Tuesday 13 February 2018 in the presence of the board members and a number male and female of participants. This meeting pointed out that the past year has witnessed the preparation of more than 52 study, research and economic report, and a specialized working paper.
The Chamber's subscribers were provided with more than 4000 handbooks from various publications of the Chamber. In addition, more than 35 economic reports were issued on trade relations between the Kingdom and a number of countries in the world. The chamber presented its views on 16 different topics and economic issues.
In terms of legal services and consultations, Al-Otaishan said that last year the Chamber provided 743 legal consultations, including 214 telephone consultations and 529 consultations in personal presence. While the number of arbitration cases initiated by the Chamber about 24 cases, 9 cases were completed. The Chamber initiated 172 issues of commercial papers (protest), 155 cases have been completed. Also, it initiated 16 issues of commercial disputes, 8 cases were completed.
On training and rehabilitation services, the Chamber implemented several training programs through the training center, which benefited 1174 female and make trainees on 300 training days during last year.
As for the services of Asharqia Chamber's Employment Center, he said that during the past financial year, the Center has organized 5 recruitment meetings in cooperation with a number of establishments, 10 companies. The number of job seekers participating in these meetings was about 6890 job seekers that applied for a large number of jobs amounted to 1395. On the other hand, the number of establishments benefiting from the services of the e-recruitment center reached about 2358 establishments, which opposed to what was shown at the 2017 Job Fair.
In his speech, Al-Otaishan talked about the Chamber's services that aimed at supporting businesswomen in the region. He pointed out that the Business Women's Center in Asharqia Chamber provided more than 139 information services and consultations in the fields of economy, small and medium enterprises, and feasibility studies. The number of lectures, seminars, and workshops that were organized by the center was about 84, benefiting about 2,565 women. He mentioned that the Chamber gave small and medium enterprises care and attention. During the past year, there were a variety of activities under different headings: direct consultations, training programs, extensive meetings, and various visits for young men and women entrepreneurs. In the past year, for example, five short and specialized training programs have been provided to assist women entrepreneurs and productive families to start their projects, benefiting 119 women.
And they were followed up step by step and under the supervision of qualified trainers to provide such programs, including (the program of how to prepare the feasibility study for the project -How to advertise and market your project - Product pricing program - How to develop your project – Riyali Program to raise the economic awareness of entrepreneurs).
In addition, many events and programs have been set up for Asharqia Youth and Young Business Council such as: Partnership, Preparation, Rehabilitation, Regional Governorates, I appreciate, Empowerment, Pioneer Dialogue, My industry, Visits).
All of these events were culminated in a ceremony honoring the winning enterprises of Dr. Al-Gosaibi Award for the best promising facility in its sixth edition, under the patronage of His Excellency the Minister of Trade and Investment, Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasabi.
As for the business committees that are concerned with the development of the business community in the Chamber, Al-Otaishan said that their number during the last year reached 27 committees, which held 94 meetings other than the emerging team meeting, which amounted to last year 31 meetings. Moreover, the expanded meetings were amounted to 9 meetings. While lectures and workshops, which were organized by the Chamber's Committees, were amounted to 41 activities, and 52 meetings with government officials during 2017.
Al-Otaishan stressed that the Chamber has endeavored to promote foreign investment in the Eastern region through communication with trade delegations and international dignitaries visiting the Kingdom. The Chamber has witnessed 17 visits by multinational personalities, and 10 commercial and trade delegations were visiting the Chamber. There were 27 delegations from Saudi businessmen that participated in international events.
The President of the Chamber stressed the commitment of Asharqia Chamber to social responsibility, and this was manifested through many activities presented through the Social Responsibility Center, Waqf Committees, Friends of Patients and Friends of the Red Crescent. It has achieved many achievements for the benefit of the society. In fact, the total contributions of businessmen to the Committee of friends of patients during the year 2017 only was more than five million riyals. The Events Fund organized different activities such as the ceremony of the people of the region on the occasion of Eid al-Fitr.
The Chamber also organized a number of social and charitable activities and programs such as (Awqaf "Endowments" Meeting in the Eastern Region - Community Responsibility - Successful Experiences - Annual Blood Donation Campaign- and Organizing the 2017 Productive Families Exhibition, which was under the patronage of His Highness the Prince of the Eastern Province and included more than 300 productive families).
