The U.S.-Saudi Arabian Business Council (USSABC), in cooperation with the Minnesota Trade Office, recently concluded its second Minnesota Business Development Mission to Saudi Arabia. Congressman Keith Ellison of the Fifth Congressional District of Minnesota accompanied the trade mission, which took place March 28-April 1, 2010. A total of 29 representatives from 16 different companies, including Honeywell International, Nilfisk-Advance, Inc., and THOR Construction, visited the cities of Riyadh and Dammam to meet with business leaders from over 60 Saudi companies.

The trade mission was designed to facilitate entry for Minnesota companies that are new to the Saudi market as well as assist Minnesota companies already operating in Saudi Arabia to increase their market share. The Business Council arranged over 130 meetings with reputable Saudi companies, including El Seif Group, Al Dhahry Group, and Yusuf Bin Ahmed Kanoo, to discuss prospective customer, agent, distributor, and joint venture partnerships. The trade mission provided valuable networking opportunities while offering comprehensive advice on doing business in Saudi Arabia across a number of different economic sectors.

Congressman Ellison, the first American Muslim to be elected to the U.S. Congress, met with H.R.H. King Abdullah during his visit with the trade mission. During the visit, Congressman Ellison expressed confidence that the relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia would continue to grow in the coming years. He is particularly interested in promoting the bilateral relationship between Saudi Arabia and the State of Minnesota in order to spur the creation of new jobs in his home state. The concluding trade mission marks the second delegation of Minnesota business members to visit the Kingdom; last April, USSABC led a trade mission of 11 Minnesota companies to the cities of Riyadh and Jeddah.

The trade mission opened with an overview of the Saudi economic environment given by Dr. Zahin Khan from Riyadh Capital Investments, in addition to a discussion with Daniel Driscoll from Ghazzawi Professional Association concerning the legal aspects of doing business in Saudi Arabia. As a part of the trade mission program, the group met with the Riyadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry, along with the American Businessmen’s Group in Riyadh. In addition to one-on-one meetings with leading Saudi representatives, the delegation also visited the facilities of Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest oil and gas corporation, and Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, the largest and most profitable non-oil company in the Middle East in terms of market capitalization. Additional visits during the trade mission included Prince Salman Center for Disability Research, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Prince Sultan University, and the College of Education at King Saud University. In addition, participants also had the opportunity to tour Janadriyah, the Saudi heritage village located outside Riyadh.

Minnesota plays a strong role in the overall relationship between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Minnesota ranks 27^th among U.S. state exporters to Saudi Arabia. In 2009, Minnesota exported more than $98.9 million (SR370.9 million) in goods to the Kingdom, resulting in a $32 million (SR120 million) increase from 2008. U.S. exports of goods to Saudi Arabia were $10.8 billion (SR40.5 billion) in 2009. With the aid of the Business Council, several Minnesota companies have successfully established trade partnerships in the Kingdom.

Other companies and institutions participating in the trade mission included: Atmosphere Recovery, Inc.; ATS&R, Inc; Clark Engineering; DECO, Inc; Faegre & Benson LLP; Fastest Inc.; Global Traffic Technologies; Hormel Institute; Midwest Minority Supplier Development Council; Phygen, Inc.; Reliability Management Group; SaberPack, Inc.; and the University of Minnesota. Global Augmentative Communication Innovators also travelled with the group.