The 2nd annual U.S. – Saudi Business Opportunities Forum is a high-level gathering of senior officials and business leaders from Saudi Arabia and the United States. This three-day forum will explore opportunities for greater economic collaboration between the two nations as well as provide an unparalleled business networking environment.
The topics which were covered in the forum as the following:
Doing Business in Saudi Arabia: An Insider’s View for New to Market Companies
International Ballroom F
Moderator:Michael Auflick, Financial Advisor, Saudi Aramco
Rami Alturki, President, Khalid Ali Alturki & Sons Co
Khalid Al Abdulkarim, CEO, Al Abdulkarim Holding
Fred Stewart, Managing Director, VSD Global LLC
David G. Caston, Business Development Manager, Tamimi Company/Commercial Division
The World of Coca-Cola
For Conference Sponsors, Speakers, and Host Committee
Introduction: Dennis Lockhart, Chairman and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta
The Honorable Kasim Reed, Mayor of Atlanta
Muhtar Kent, Chairman and CEO, The Coca-Cola Company
H.E. Abdullah Alireza, Minister of Commerce and Industry
Setting the Theme
International Ballroom A-F
Introduction: Sam Williams, President, Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce
Lubna Olayan, CEO, Olayan America
The Honorable Kasim Reed, Mayor of Atlanta
Education: Investing in Human Capital
International Ballroom A-F
Moderator: Steve Clemons, Director, American Strategy Program, New America Foundation
H.H. Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah Al-Saud, Minister of Education
The Honorable Anthony Miller, Deputy Secretary of Education (confirmed)
H.E. Dr. Khaled Al-Sabti, Vice Minister, Ministry of Education (confirmed)
The Honorable General James B. Smith, United States Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (confirmed)
Jeff Barnes, Leader – Global Leadership Development, GE (confirmed)
Maintaining a Stable Global Financial System: Shared Responsibility
International Ballroom A-F
Moderator: Hutham Olayan, President and CEO, The Olayan America Corporation
H.E. Dr. Muhammad Al-Jasser, Governor, Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency
Philip Bleser, Head, Global Corporate Bank – North America, J.P. Morgan; member of JPMorgan Chase & Co. Executive Committee
Fahad Al-Mubarak, Chairman and Managing Director, Morgan Stanley, Saudi Arabia
Higher Education as an Enabler to the Knowledge Economy
International Ballroom A-C
Moderator:Dr. Abdulaziz Jazzar, Executive Partner, Malaz Group
Dr. Mezyad M. Alterkawi, CEO, Riyadh Technical Incubation Center-King Saud University
Dr. Steven McLaughlin, President, Georgia Tech Global, Inc.
Dr. Mohammad Al-Ohali, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Higher Education
Downstream Petrochemicals: National Priority and International Opportunity
International Ballroom F
Moderator: Michael Dolan, Senior Vice President, ExxonMobil
Abdullah Saeed Bazid, EVP Corporate Strategy and Planning, SABIC
Dr. Moayyed Al-Qurtas, Vice Chairman & CEO, National Industrialization Co. (TASNEE)
Mark Lashier, Senior Vice President, Specialties, Aromatics, & Styrenics, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company
Dr. Zuhair Allawi, Vice President, Dow Saudi Arabia
Industrial Infrastructure Initiatives: Creating the Foundation for Economic Growth
International Ballroom D-E
Moderator: Dr. Ihsan Bu-Hulaiga, Chairman, Joatha Group
Dr. Tawfiq Al-Rabiah, Deputy Ministry for Industrial Affairs and Director General, Saudi Industrial Property Authority (Modon)
Dr. Mosleh Hamed Al-Otaibi, Chief Executive Officer, Royal Commission in Jubail
Kenneth Wisnoski, President Growth, Energy, Bauxite & Africa, Alcoa
Ahmed S. Osilan, Chief of Staff and International Operations, SAGIA
Monte Wilson, Senior Vice President and Director, HOK
Opportunities in Agriculture
Dogwood A
Moderator: Eng. Omar Bahlaiwa, Secretary-General, Committee for International Trade
Eng. Taha Alshareef, Team Member, King Abdullah Initiative for Agro-Investment Abroad, Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
Dr. Abdullah Al Obaid, Deputy Minister for Research and Agricultural Development, Ministry of Agriculture
Lloyd Harbert, Deputy Administrator, Office of Country and Regional Affairs, U.S. Foreign Agricultural Service
Zemedeneh Negatu, Managing Partner for Ethiopia and the Head of the Transaction Advisory Services (TAS) for Eastern Africa, Ernst & Young
Donnie Smith, Director, Center of Innovation for Agribusiness, State of Georgia
Opportunities for Finance and Investment
International Ballroom D-E
Moderator: Saleh Al-Husseini, Member, Majlis Al Shoura
Secretary William Cohen, Chairman and CEO, Cohen Group
Dr. Ahmed Alkholifey, Executive Director for Saudi Arabia, IMF
Alberto Verme, Chairman, Europe, Middle East, and Africa Banking, Citi
Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Managing Director and CEO, Jadwa Investment
The Saudi K-12 Education Reform: Setting the Stage to the Knowledge Society
International Ballroom A-C
Moderator: Jinan Al Ahmed, Educational Consultant, Tatweer Holding Co.
Dr. Ali S. Alhakami, General Manager, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Public Education Reform Project
Dr. Abdullatif Al-Ghaith, President & CEO, Tatweer Education Holding Company
Nawal Othman Al-Kowaiter, Consultant of Girls Education, Ministry of Education
Ali Othaim, Founder, Gulf Rose Group
Business Opportunities in the Oil, Gas, and Petrochemical Sectors
International Ballroom F
Moderator: Joseph Anis, President & CEO, GE Energy Middle East Region
Munir Rafie, Vice President of Materials Supply, Saudi Aramco
Khaled Juraifani, Director of the Localization & Clusters Department of New Business Development, Saudi Aramco
Donald Chen, Parent Company Representative to Sadara Chemical Company, Dow Chemical Company
Moe Merah, Chairman of ITT Saudi Co Ltd and Vice President of ITT Industrial Process for Europe, Middle East and Africa
Strengthening Innovation and Industrial Competitiveness through Standardization and Quality Assurance
Dogwood A
Moderator: Dr. Abdullah Masry, President and Director, Spectrum Holdings
H.E. Eng.Nabil Molla, Governor, Saudi Standards, Metrology, and Quality Organization (SASO)
Mary Saunders, Director, Standards Coordination Office, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
Jeff Grove, Vice President, Global Policy & Industry Affairs, ASTM International
Ali O. Al Zaid, President, Ali-Zaid Engineering Consultants and Chairman, Aqaria Company
Overview of Saudi Health Reforms
International Ballroom A-F
H.E. Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, Minister of Health
Health and Medical Services: Delivering Top Quality Care
International Ballroom A-F
Moderator: Dr. Hanan Balkhy, Executive Director for Infection Control – National Guards/Health Services
H.E. Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeeah, Minister of Health
Dr. Ileana Arias, Deputy Director, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Mark Bertolini, Chairman, CEO and President, Aetna Inc.
Dr. David Satcher, Director, The Satcher Health Leadership Institute, Morehouse School of Medicine, former U.S. Surgeon General
Prof. Anthony Kalloo, Chief, Division of Gastrenerology and Hepatology
Nuclear and Renewable Energy: Building Resources for the Future
International Ballroom A-F
Moderator: Dr. Abdullah Dabbagh, Chairman, Ma’aden, Phosphate Company
H.E. Dr. Hashim Yamani, President, King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy
The Honorable Daniel Poneman, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Energy
J. M. Bernhard, Jr., Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, the Shaw Group Inc.
James Suciu, President, Global Sales and Marketing, GE Energy
James Brown, President, First Solar Utility Systems
Building the Healthcare Sector through Innovation and Technology
International Ballroom F
Moderator: Dr. Mohammad Zamakhshary, Advisor, Ministry of Health
Dr. Emad Abdulaziz Eldukair, Founder & CEO, The Care Group
Dr. Walid Fitaihi, Chairman and CEO, International Medical Center
Dr. Afaf Alshammari, Director General of International Health Department, Ministry of Health
Dr. Scott McNabb, Visiting Professor, Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University
Prof. Selwa A.F. Al-Hazzaa, Head & Consultant of Ophthalmology, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center
Dr. Abdulla M. Abdulla, Clinical Professor of Medicine and former Chief of Cardiology, Medical College of Georgia
Opportunities in Water and Electricity
International Ballroom D-E
Moderator: Asif Hussain, Senior Vice President, North America, Foster Wheeler
Ali Saleh Al-Barrak, President and CEO, Saudi Electricity Company
Abdul Latif Al-Harkan, General Manager of Human Resources, SWCC
Hisham Bahkali, Country Executive, GE Energy Saudi Arabia
Geoff Thomas, Director, Program Management, Burns & McDonnell
Developing World-class Capabilities in Transportation, Supply Chain, and Logistics
International Ballroom A-C
Moderator: Robert Morris, Senior Director of External Affairs, Georgia Ports Authority
H.E. Eng. Khaled Almolhem, Director General, Saudi Arabian Airlines
Louis Miller, Director, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport
Mike Paul, Vice President, Logistics Services, SupplyCore Inc.
Entrepreneurship and the Development of SMEs
Dogwood A-B
Moderator: Benjamin Newland, Partner, King and Spalding
Suresh Kumar, Assistant Secretary and Director General for the Foreign Commercial Service, U.S. Department of Commerce (invited)
Leonard Schlesinger, President, Babson College, Former Chairman Limited brands (confirmed)
Mohammed Hammouda, Director, Kafala Program, Saudi Industrial Development Fund (confirmed)
Dr. Omar Mohammed Bakr, Saudi Entrepreneur
Perspectives on U.S.-Saudi Relations
International Ballroom A-F
Introduction: The Honorable Wyche Fowler, former U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
H.E. Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Saeed, Advisor, Royal Court
