The British Business Group in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, exists to promote trade and understanding between the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

The group was founded approximately thirty years ago by the then British Ambassador and a number of local British businessmen. Although the name of the group has changed over the years and the British Embassy has now moved to Riyadh, we continue to have close ties with the British Consulate-General and the Consul General now holds the permanent seat on our committee that was once the Ambassador's.

The main aims of the group are to promote the growth of British trade in goods and services with Saudi Arabia and to provide a networking environment for British businesspeople.

The BBG fulfils its aims in several ways: Since almost every local senior British working person is a member, we have, collectively, a vast repository of local knowledge and contacts. This resource is at the disposal of any legitimate British organisation hoping to do trade with the Kingdom. We are of course fully-supportive of UKTI and the MEA. Many of our members or their companies participate in outbound and inbound trade missions. To encourage networking, we hold regular meetings, usually on the third Sunday of each month. These take the form of a presentation by a distinguished speaker, followed by dinner or lunch. The subject matter is most varied and can be anything from effective decision-making to the wild birds of the Kingdom.

There are several annual events: The State of the Nation Ball, the Survivors' Ball following the sports challenge against the American Businessmen of Jeddah, the Summer Quiz and of course our main family event, the Ramadan Iftar breakfast. The BBG also publishes a monthly electronic newsletter, which some diplomats and businesspeople who left Jeddah many years ago still read with interest.

The BBG has supported a number of worthy causes over the years. This year we are proud to have supported Open Skies, a local provider of hippotherapy to challenged young people, Help for Heroes and MacMillan Cancer Support.

If you are not already a member of the BBG, whether you live in Jeddah or are a British businessperson visiting the Kingdom, then we strongly suggest you consider joining. It is a great way to tap into the British business community, support UK plc and have some fun at the same time. Most British citizens working in senior posts in Jeddah and the surrounding areas are members.