On July 23, 2009, The U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council (USSABC) hosted a roundtable discussion with incoming Senior Commercial Officer Amer Kayani and prominent Council members at its Vienna, Virginia, office. The event was an opportunity for USSABC members to meet Mr. Kayani before he assumes his post in Riyadh on August 3rd, as well as discuss issues affecting U.S.-Saudi trade. Ten companies were represented at the meeting, in addition to a number of representatives from the U.S. Government. Before the roundtable session began, company representatives were able to meet individually with Mr. Kayani, as well as Business Council executives.

After a brief introduction by USSABC President and Managing Director Edward Burton, Mr. Kayani gave an overview of the U.S. Commercial Service, whose main goal is to help American companies do business overseas. Mr. Kayani plans to work closely with the Business Council and U.S. companies of all sizes to fulfill this.

Mr. Kayani asked attendees a number of questions and was eager to hear comments and input. He first wanted to know what the largest hurdle had been to doing business in Saudi Arabia. The general consensus was that obtaining visas for Saudis to travel to the U.S. was perhaps the biggest challenge to establishing business relationships with the Kingdom. Mr. Kayani agreed that this was an issue of importance, but also offered suggestions on how companies could use the Commercial Service and the USSABC to assist them. In addition, Mr. Burton noted that measures were being taken to facilitate the process, such as in May 2008, when the U.S. and Saudi Arabia both agreed to extend the length of visas to five years.

When asked about the construction market in Saudi Arabia, Mr. Kayani replied that the opportunities for American companies in the sector are tremendous. He stressed the Saudi Government’s commitment to developing the economic cities and noted that the construction industry in Saudi Arabia has been more resilient than others in the region during the current economic downturn.

As part of its continuing efforts to offer U.S. and Saudi companies a platform to discuss specific business issues and make policy recommendations, the Business Council will continue to host roundtable events, as well as organize trade missions for companies of both countries.