Britain will provide entrepreneurship training to Saudi women, Lord Digby Jones, UK Minister of Trade and Investment said here Monday. Jones announced this at a seminar on “Women in Business” organized by the Asharqia Chamber and attended by members of the Eastern Province business community, including businesswomen. “There is a need for more women to participate in business in the wake of increasing competition posed by globalization,” said Jones who is visiting the Kingdom for the first time. “Their (women) talents are essential for the survival of business.” Addressing the seminar, the UK minister said government agencies of Saudi Arabia and UK would cooperate to develop a new breed of entrepreneurs among Saudi women. Cooperation between the Asharqia Chamber and the British Trade Office at Al-Khobar has resulted in a number of programs and training courses on entrepreneurship skills. Lord Jones said that in the UK, women entrepreneurs account for over 36 percent of the total businesses. The number of women in Britain's workforce has more than doubled in the last 25 years. He said that Saudi Arabia, likewise, has the potential to develop its women human resources. “Women must change themselves with the change of the world and take up challenges in the labor market,” he said. Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean, head of the Saudi-British Joint Business Council, said the scope for Saudi women taking part in the development of trade and industries in the Kingdom must be wider and expanded. The British Minister also offered to support family-owned Saudi businesses. “There are similarities of family businesses in both countries. We have experience in running family businesses and we are willing to offer this experience to Saudi Arabia where nearly 90 percent businesses are family owned.” Abdulrahman Rashed Al- Rashed, President, Asharqia Chamber, said family-owned companies are shrinking as a result of globalization and stiff competition in the market. “Foreign investors are now participating in many businesses resulting in reduction of family-owned enterprises,” he said. __
