American chambers in GCC sign MoU to boost ties, partnerships

AmCham executive directors signing the MoU. From left: Rebecca Olson (OABC AmCham Oman), Liz Beneski (Abu Dhabi), Mary McGinnis (Bahrain), Cara Nazari (Dubai), Brooke Holland (Qatar), and Paola de la Roche (Kuwait).

Officials of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) based in their respective host countries in the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening partnerships with each other. The MoU was formally signed in March during the ‘Annual AmCham Mena Conference’ held in Aman, Jordan, but was officially approved recently by the AmCham boards in their respective countries, AmCham Qatar executive director Brooke Holland told Gulf Times yesterday. “We’re extremely excited to see all GCC AmChams come together as a family to develop strong relationships and build bridges,” Holland also stressed in a press statement, which noted that AmChams in the GCC officially signed the MoU to signify “unity across borders in upcoming events and collaborations.” The statement said: “AmCham strives to discuss and pursue common commercial interests and maintain relations with commerce and other commercial organisations. AmCham Kuwait, Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dubai, Oman, and Qatar are committed to coming together and hosting events and initiatives as a consortium within the GCC for the purpose of ensuring collaboration and building strong relationships amongst their members. “After two years of countrywide shutdowns due to the 2020 pandemic, there is no better time for this announcement. Mere months before the FIFA World Cup, AmChams across the GCC continue supporting their members by hosting events and initiatives together for the benefit of their members and friends.” Holland explained that AmChams across the globe are the arms of the US Chamber of Commerce, and part of their mission is to promote trade, commerce, and investment within member organisations in the US. “As part of this mission, we do events on a weekly to a monthly basis,” Holland further explained, citing the ‘Networking Across Borders’ event, which was held yesterday. The event not only paired key executives with AmCham members, but also facilitated collaboration aimed at promoting regional growth, she pointed out. The list of AmCham members includes Fortune 500 US companies that are “among the largest companies in the entire region,” Holland stressed, noting that organising business delegations is also an integral part of AmCham’s service to its members. “If you look at AmCham at its core, part of what we do is to bring business delegations together. We take our members and help facilitate commerce, trade, and investment between the US and the region – a service that all AmChams offer. “This only further solidifies that between the regions here...this is a way for us to become a unified front and hopefully help our member businesses together,” Holland emphasised. On the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Holland said AmCham Qatar is “very much involved” with the tournament, which is slated from November 21 to December 18. “Not only are several of our member companies active with the World Cup, the biggest of which is Jacobs since they are instrumental in delivering the stadiums, but AmCham Qatar also works very closely with Team USA to bring that value and do our part to make sure this World Cup is successful,” Holland added.