A Series of Seminars on the Effects of WTO Membership on Saudi Business:

The British Embassy is organising jointly with the Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry a series of seminars about the benefits and implications of membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) for Saudi Arabia and its business community. The seminars will take place on 22 March in Riyadh, 23 March in Jeddah and 24 March in Dammam. In each case the local Chamber of Commerce has kindly agreed to host the seminars, from 08:45-12.30.

We have invited UK experts on the WTO to address the seminars:

• Christopher Roberts, a former Director-General of Trade Policy in the UK (formerly Director-General of Trade Policy in the UK Department of Trade and Industry, and now trade adviser to Covington and Burling, an international law firm) will give a general introduction on the WTO, on its relevance to business and to Saudi business in particular, preparations for accession, the value of WTO membership for domestic policy and investment, and how to exploit Saudi membership of WTO as the WTO develops through the Doha Round.
  
  
• Julian Arkell (an expert on international trade and services issues) will take a session specifically on services, the advantages and disadvantages for local services and manufacturing of opening up the Saudi market for services and possible Saudi service export interests.
  
  
• Mark Hatcher (formerly Head of Global Public Affairs, PricewaterhouseCoopers and now an independent consultant) will discuss how WTO membership might impact on Saudi business decisions and business priorities, including the value of greater concentration, the relevance of the WTO to SMEs and how Saudi business priorities can be fed into the WTO process.
  
  

The Council of Saudi Chambers of Commerce and Industry has kindly agreed that senior British businessmen in Saudi Arabia can be invited to the seminars. Places are limited but if you would like to attend, please inform Cecille El Beleidi at the Consulate ( tel 02 622 5550 x 2212) who will pass on the details to the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce.