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BiP in the Gulf
Source: BiP,
25 April 2008
BiP Commercial Director Scott Smith and Commercial Executive
Gerry Thorogood visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in April
to meet with Government Officials in Riyadh.
BiP was invited to meet with the Government in the Kingdom
to discuss our experience and expertise in the public procurement
arena as it embarks on an ambitious 5 year e-enablement programme.
The BiP team spent 3 days in Riyadh and examined a range
of Government procurement processes and shared our experience
and viewpoints on best practices.
This new relationship for BiP builds on the sound foundation
of our work over the last few years in the United Arab Emirates,
where BiP developed and provided a procurement portal for
the Army Purchasing Directorate.
The meetings with the Government also coincided with Saudi – British
week (18 - 23 April). This gave the BiP team the opportunity
to attend a number of events planned by Scottish Development
International, UK Trade and Investment and the Saudi Arabian
Government. The events included a conference and exhibition
hosted at the Saudi Chamber of Commerce in Dammam, in the
Eastern Province.
This enabled the BiP team to meet with Saudi businesses
and business support agencies and take part in a number of
workshops and discussions on Saudi – British Business
Development.
The event programme also included a site visit to Saudi
Aramco, the world’s largest oil company, where the
BiP team was introduced to the procurement team and was given
a fascinating insight into the development plans for the
years ahead.
A key objective of this trip was to increase our knowledge
of the local business culture and customs. This was helped
by attending a formal reception hosted by the UK Ambassador
on the occasion of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s birthday. This
event provided the opportunity to network with Saudi Government
Officials and businesses in a less formal environment.
The BiP activity in the Gulf is continuing and this recent
visit will build on our existing foundation in the region.
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