A delegation from the US Congress visited the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce (JCCI) to observe the involvement of women in chamber elections as well as the work done to support small to medium businesses. Previously several businesswomen claimed they had been excluded from elections. The 16 member delegation, the first sent to the Kingdom since President Barack Obama was sworn into office, was received by Mohammed Al-Fadl President of the Council of Saudi chambers, JCCI President Saleh Bin Ali Al-Turki and Lama Suleiman, head of the Jeddah Center for Human Resources. Al-Turki said supporting small businesses has been a goal of the JCCI for several years. “The support isn't necessarily only financial, we also provide training courses and lectures.” Suleiman said several programs are in place to support working women including the Khadija Bint Khuwailid Center, designed as a support mechanism for businesses but also features services catered exclusively to female businesswomen. Suleiman also said women form 20 percent of the work force at the JCCI and that across the Kingdom women will be allowed to participate in the Chambers elections. The delegation was also given a tour of different JCCI departments to demonstrate the advancements it has made in digitalizing its services since being ISO certified.
