SAUDI NOMINATIONS FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUMMIT, INTERIM

UNCLAS RIYADH 001584 SIPDIS STATE FOR S/P Greg Behrman and NEA/ARP Josh Harris E.O. 12958:N/A TAGS: ECON EAID PREL SOCI XF SA SUBJECT: SAUDI NOMINATIONS FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUMMIT, INTERIM NOMINATIONS REF: STATE 112486 ¶1. Mission Saudi Arabia provides the following nominations for the Presidential Summit on Entrepreneurship (solicited reftel). Additional biographic material and justification will follow in the next few days. Due to the Hajj and Eid holidays, the Saudi government and private sectors have been offline since November 12. Begin nomination list: Ms. Rasha Amer Al-Hoshan, of the Al-Hoshan Group, is a successful interior designer and strong advocate of women's issues in the Kingdom. Mr. Tariq Al-Tamimi, Tamimi Group: Tariq Al-Tamimi is the president of Ali A. Al-Tamimi Co. and has worked closely with GE Energy to build a new $75 million Power Technology Center in Saudi Arabia. Mr. Khaled Abdulrahman Mohammed Al-Abdulkarim, Al-Abdulkarim Group: Khaled Al-Abdulkarim is the CEO of the Abdulkarim Holding Company and has worked diligently to promote entrepreneurship in the Eastern Province. This includes the recent opening of a new innovative center in partnership with a western electricity management firm. Mr. Walid Ahmad Al-Juffali, Al-Jafali Group: Walid Al-Juffali, along with his two brothers, runs the Al-Jafali Group, a family enterprise known for their efforts to train Saudi youth. They operate joint ventures with numerous high-profile international partners, including IBM, DuPont, and Dow Chemical. Al-Jaffali has also set up his own business, separate from the family conglomerate, W Investments Limited, with the goal of developing new business prospects. Ms. Loubna Al-Olayan, Olayan Financing Co.: Loubna Al-Olayan is the CEO of the Olayan Financing Company, a holding company that has operations in more than 30 companies operating in seven sectors. She is a highly successful Saudi businesswoman and is heavily involved in promoting women's issues in the Kingdom. Mr. Abdulrahman Tarabzouni, Google: He has won two entrepreneurship awards in Saudi Arabia, holds two advanced degrees from MIT, and is a member of a young entrepreneurs' society. As part of his MIT program, he started three firms, of which one is still operating. He came back to the Kingdom in part because of his commitment to develop Saudi youth. Ms. Basma Omeir: A notable Jeddah area business trendsetter and entrepreneur. She is the Director of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI, a key pro-reform regional institution) Women's Center which has led efforts in the Kingdom to lobby for changes in laws, regulations, and customs. Thanks to her successful efforts, the Saudi government issued an arguably unprecedented (for Saudi Arabia) authoritative statement that Saudi women could work with unrelated men. She started a mentorship program for young women, which is proving to be very successful. Ms. Lama Soleiman: She was the only woman reelected to the JCCI board of directors. Soleiman works to foster entrepreneurial development in the Jeddah area, particularly among women. She belongs to a prominent local family trading company. Ms. Hana Al-Zuheir: She founded the women's subcommittee of the Eastern Province (EP) Chamber of Commerce and was later appointed by the Emir of the EP, Mohammad bin Fahd, to start up the Prince Sultan fund for women's small business development. Ms. Samia al-Edrisi: CEO of the Eastern Province Forum Ltd. For Development. She was part of the first group of female candidates ever to enter their candidacy for the EP Chamber of Commerce in ¶2005. She is a respected businesswomen, currently using her private sector experience and resources to support the advancement of women in the public sphere, such as via the upcoming 2009 EPCCI elections. Though she will not run, she is putting all of her business's resources behind the best candidate. End nomination list. ZIADEH