Middle East Association (MEA), the UK's leading business forum for promoting trade and investment with the Middle East and North Africa, will be promoting and hosting a trade conference with high level speakers from the UK and Saudi Arabia next month.

The conference will be held at Radisson Blu Hotel in Edinburgh, UK, under the title: ‘Opportunity Arabia 11, Edinburgh’, on October 2.

The one-day event will promote Scottish exports to one of the world’s most important oil and gas economies, focusing specifically on small and medium sized businesses from the entire Scottish region.

Opportunity Arabia 11 will offer delegates vital business contacts and unique networking opportunities with senior representatives from the state owned oil and gas company Saudi Aramco, industrial giant Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (Sabic), the influential Saudi Committee for International Trade, and the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority, alongside British Offset.

Some of the high profile speakers confirmed for the conference include: Baroness Symons of Verndean, co-chair of Saudi British Joint Business Council; Omar Bahlaiwa, secretary general, Saudi Committee for International Trade; Lord King, the Prime Minister’s Special Trade Envoy to Saudi Arabia; and Basil Al Ghalayini, chairman and CEO of BMG Financial Group.

The conference will also present specific case studies and information on the growing role of women in Saudi Arabian business enterprises and will be attended by Sir John Jenkins, the British ambassador to Saudi Arabia amongst other high profile Scottish and Saudi business names, said a statement.

The event has been planned by the MEA’s new chairman and CEO Peter Meyer, who aims to bring the MEA’s 60 years’ experience in promoting trade and investment in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) to all UK regions directly. Meyer has recently announced that he will be following up the Edinburgh event with a 10 day dedicated trade mission to Saudi Arabia in late November.

Meyer said: “I am very pleased to hold this annual event in Scotland in particular for the oil and gas sector, training and healthcare. These are all sectors in which Scotland has a fine degree of excellence.”

With the Saudi economy being the largest in the Mena region with a budget of up to £228 billion ($471 billion) this year, along with a major investment programme, the country provides highly valuable opportunities for Scottish businesses aiming to develop trade links, said a statement.

Meyer said: “Scotland is one of the most exciting business locations in the world today and by introducing potential Saudi partners and trade relations to the country can only enhance Scotland’s already growing business reputation in the Mena.” – TradeArabia News Service