19-21 June, 2012
Location: Rotana Hotel (Erbil, Iraq)The Regional Business Initiative (www.rbiproject.com), implemented by SEGURA Partners LLC and funded by USAID/OMEP, organizes events that gather businesses and government officials from Jordan, Iraq and the West Bank to discuss potential exchanges, and identify main obstacles to trade and joint business activities.

The Event will focus on the following sectors:

1. ICT

2. Pharmaceuticals

3. Agriculture Technology

4. Food Processing

5. Health Services

6. Olives

7. Stone and Marble

For all seven sectors, the goal is to provide firms an opportunity to make connections leading to increased exports of products and services from the West Bank and Jordan into the Iraqi market, as well as to develop potential partnerships to invest in the Iraqi market, helping develop those sectors. Expanding trade and investment between the three economies represent a win-win situation for all participants: firms in West Bank/Gaza and Jordan will be able to expand the markets for their companies, while Iraq will have an opportunity to start building sectors. This event will place a special emphasis on the participation of women-owned businesses.

Tentative Agenda

Day 1 - Tuesday, June 19: Registration, Inauguration of Event and Dinner.

Day 2 - Wednesday, June 20: B2B sessions during the day.

Day 3 - Thursday, June 21: B2B sessions during the morning.

Invitation

Iraqi, Palestinian and Jordanian companies interested in this event are invited to send their request for participation, filling the attached profile not later than May 27, 2012, addressed to the contacts below. Women-owned businesses are particularly encouraged to attend. Palestinian and Jordanian companies will receive assistance with the logistics of obtaining an Iraqi visa. Companies will be responsible for the cost of their flight and hotel, but will receive preferential pricing by registering for the event.

The initial administration fees for AmCham Members will be at JD 350, Non-Members at JD 700 excluding tax, travel and accommodation costs, which will be coordinated down the road.

More detailed information on the event will be sent later to interested companies. If you have any questions or comments, please contact Nour Abdullah at nour.abdullah@amcham.jo or call AmCham office at 06 565 1860.

13th May, 2012
Time: 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location: Le Meridien Hotel
Event: Cocktail Reception

AmCham Jordan welcomed Vice President of MENA Affairs at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Mr. Lionel C. Johnson at a reception at Le Meridien Hotel in Amman. Close to 50 guests attended the event, including HE U.S. Ambassador Stuart Jones.

AmCham Board Chairman Mohammad Bataineh opened the evening with a speech on several upcoming AmCham events and projects. Mr. Bataineh addressed The Regional Business Initiative, and event that will gather businesses and government officials from Jordan, Iraq and the West Bank to discuss potential exchanges, and identify main obstacles to trade and joint business activities. He discussed the importance of the ICT, Pharmaceuticals, Agriculture Technology, Food Processing, Health Services, Olives, Stone and Marble sectors in the Jordanian economy, and the expansion of trade and investment between Jordan, the West Bank, and Iraq. Mr. Bataineh highlighted AmCham’s past events and spoke on an upcoming event set for 29 May 2012, in collaboration with the Public Affairs office at the U.S. Embassy with Ms. Rochelle Sobel, founder of the Association of Safe International Road Travel.

Vice President Lionel Johnson then delivered a speech touching on several important aspects of the U.S.-Jordan relationship. During Johnson’s first trip to Jordan, he met with high-level Jordanian government officials such as the Prime Minister, various ministers, and advisors to His Majesty King Abdullah II, as well as with the American ambassador to Jordan. Johnson spoke on the importance of close ties between the U.S. and Jordan and the need for stronger economic and political ties when facing global economic challenges.

AmCham’s Women in Business Committee honored three women for their achievements in business and entrepreneurism. The MENA Council Women in Business Committee’s mission is to foster and promote the development of women leaders throughout the MENA Region and to provide a forum for MENA AmCham members to discuss and explore women’s issues for the primary purpose of cultivating women leaders. The honorees included:

Nermeen Murad – Transformed the Information & Research Center (IRC) into a regionally recognized research authority.

Nourah Mehyar – CEO of Nafith Logistics.

Zainab Issa Al Jashami – Architect and founder of and architectural engineering and interior design company.

Startup Bus is a mobile training center that will bring loans, trainers, mentors, technology tools and office infrastructure to marginalized Jordanian communities. The Startup Bus will provide a “one stop shop” that will offer these services to unemployed and out of school youth, marginalized women and entrepreneurs in rural areas. It will be agile and able to quickly identify and travel to communities in most need and subsequently develop programs to match these needs. It will provide separate training tracks to rural youth, women and entrepreneurs, both current and aspiring. The Startup Bus is built on partnerships with some of Jordan’s leading development organizations and will use an innovative model to bring capacity building and financial services throughout the country. 

The initiative requires a total investment of 60,000JD and will launch in late April. The pilot program will cover the rural areas outside of Irbid, and program coordinators hope to expand quickly. The Startup Bus will focus on keeping all costs and investments local, and hopes to find employment for at least 20% of participants, half of whom will be women. 

For more information about the Startup Bus program, contact Jamil Wyne at jamil@injaz-arabia.org. 

The American Chamber of Commerce in Jordan would like to thank you all for making the evening of Tuesday, 20 March 2012 at the InterContinental Hotel a great success. Our gratitude and appreciation also go to U.S. Ambassador to Jordan, H.E. Stuart E. Jones and our Chairman of the Board Mr. Mohammed Bataineh. The event was well attended by both private sector and US government representatives. Mr. Mohammed Bataineh introduced Elizabeth A. Hopkins, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Embassy and Beth Paige, USAID Mission Director. He went on to welcome the US Ambassador, HE Stuart E. Jones and thanked the Housing Bank for its generous sponsorship of the event.

In his speech, the Ambassador listed two very good reasons to become an Amcham - Jordan member: the excellent leadership of Mr. Bataineh and the opportunity to get to know US embassy staff at networking events. He introduced several embassy staff members - MG Richard Quirk, Ms. Joyce Wong, Helen Lovejoy, Tom Rhodes and Cheryl Jennings were among those named - making it easier for attendees to find and connect with the appropriate embassy representatives.

"An Evening with the US Embassy Team" was a success, and AmCham - Jordan looks forward to continued support from its members for similar future events.

(The PACC hosted the US CG and US Consulate General in Jerusalem team with the USAID mission Director and his team with a group of Palestinian businessmen and PACC Members)

Dear Mr. Bataineh,
Chairman 

Am Cham Jordan

Now, following the first successful public event that Katia was involved in its planning and preparation!

On behalf of PACC BOD and myself, I'd like to express our sincere thanks to you in person and The Am Cham Jordan team for your valuable training and advise to the Am Cham Palestine office manager.

We are all most grateful for your warm hospitality during her stay in Jordan.

We should be happy to reciprocate your kindness at any time.

Please convey our warmest thanks to your BOD and the entire management team.

We are looking forward to meeting you soon;

Best regards,
Said Baransi
Chairman of the Board 

The Palestinian American Chamber of Commerce