Member of the Board of Directors of the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce and Industry Ulfat Qabbani has said that a female presence on JCCI board is no longer a demand but a “necessity” dictated by the circumstances of Saudi society. “So long as women's presence on the Board does not clash with their religion, customs and traditions, then how can we say they don't deserve it? Is the Board of Directors for men only?” Qabbani asked. “The current Board's problem is that some members are not aware of our contribution, and they just seek faults and create problems that are not in the interest of the public,” she said. “Differences of opinion should not spoil relations, as they are in fact a healthy sign,” Qabbani continued. “However, the methods being used were not correct, as some members were leaking the differences of viewpoint to the media, which then focused on the differences instead of on the achievements we made during the 19th session,” she said. Qabbani, who is also Chairwoman of the Jeddah Council for Social Responsibility, said that being on the JCCI Board of Directors allowed her to “serve the nation and acquaint herself with the difficulties facing all sections of society”, helping her to find the right solutions in conformity with the goals of the state.
