Women expo attracts 169 firms

The Saudi Women Group will be organizing its first International Exhibition here on Saturday through Monday under the aegis of Princess Rima bint Talal bin Abdul Aziz. As many as 169 firms and establishments are participating in the three-day event that will highlight products of interest to women from both local and international companies. According to the organizers, the focus will be on a wide range of products — from beauty care, clinics and care centers to other entities of interest to women and personal care. It will be the largest gathering of its kind under one roof, to serve all requirements and needs of the women in Saudi Arabia. The exhibition aims to attract commercial audience in the sector. It is an opportunity for the Saudi women as the elites of major companies specialized in women’s affairs are expected to attend the exhibition besides displaying products and services related to women. They can also explore investment opportunities on the occasion. “Princess Rima’s sponsorship of this event indicates her keenness and support to Saudi Women International Exhibition (SWIE) and encouraging women to play their important role in various activities in the Kingdom, as they enjoy full support by the government of the Custodian of Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah, who is encouraging them to play their natural role within the society and its culture.” This support, according to the organizers, manifests itself in various fields, including economic, education, health and social sectors, besides other fields wherein Saudi women have an active involvement. Spelling out the highlights of the event, Reem Al-Hathlan, head of the exhibition, said that its aim is not merely to mobilize a large number of companies seeking to display their products but also to address a message to Saudi women to express their concerns through this event. As such, Al-Hathlan pointed out that they have invited a large number of firms to participate in a seminar at a certain place and time to get their input that could help Saudi women and investors in addition to other women in the Kingdom. The idea to hold the exhibition under the title, “Saudi Women International Exhibition,” came in the wake of the economic boom in the Kingdom and the constant keenness of the Saudi leadership to serve them in the supreme national interest. It also marks a quantum leap in enabling the Saudi woman to take her place in the society by participating in national development programs concerning them. In the process, she could make use of her enormous intellectual and financial resources in economic, education, cultural and social areas, by participating in the growth and development of the national economy. According to the organizer, the event will provide unique investment opportunities for Saudi business women, whose cumulative investment in the private sector at present is only 21 percent. She added “that if we look at the reality of women’s investment in the private sector, statistics tell us there is a huge potential for investment involving women.” She said that all field and theoretical economic studies have stressed the need for creating a business environment conducive to their investments in a prosperous country like the Kingdom. The upcoming exhibition will provide a platform for realizing her ambition, said the organizer. The exhibition will enable them to explore business opportunities, both regional and international. It offers a number of products and new services which are of women’s interest and new products in the Saudi market, besides marketing and promotional opportunities for the products and services at competitive prices. They can also sign agreements and conduct transactions with investors and their agents. They could also create opportunities for business through communication between the exhibitors and visitors.