Jeddah Economic forum opens today

Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Governor of Makkah region, will open here later today the 12th Jeddah Economic Forum (JEF) under the theme “Beyond Borders: Building Tomorrow’s Economies.â€‌ More than 3,000 leading economists and businessmen from Saudi Arabia, other member countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and a number of foreign countries are expected to attend the three-day event to be held at the Jeddah Hilton Hotel. Saleh Kamel, chairman of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI), which is organizing the forum, said this year’s gathering was a continuation of the previous other events which were very successful. Kamel said arrangements have been completed to host the forum, according to a press statement published today by Arab News. Forum Director Lama Al-Sulaiman said: “For the first time in the history of the JEF, a ministerial session would precede the opening under the title â€?Cooperation for the Sake of the Pioneers.’â€‌ She said Minister of Commerce and Industry Tawfiq Fawzan Al-Rabiah and Minister of Labor Eng. Adel Faqih would participate in the session, which will discuss cooperation between the two ministries to help businessmen launch their projects, especially Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).