Asharqia Chamber

Asharqia Chamber, or the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is a non-profit entity that aims to develop various commercial. It also represents businesses in ministries, authorities, and public institutions, and works to protect and develop them in the Eastern Province. Asharqia Chamber is one of twenty-eight Chambers of Commerce in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and a member of the Federation of Saudi Chambers. Its headquarters is located in al-Hussam neighborhood on the Dammam-al-Khubar highway in Dammam City.

Since its establishment in 1952, the Asharqia Chamber has been dedicated to serving the interests of its members, developing its services for subscribers, contributing to the economic development of the Eastern Province, and serving the economy and society in the Kingdom. The chamber has witnessed many developments and expansions, propelling it to a prominent position among the chambers of commerce on the Arab and regional levels. Among the development indicators is the growth in the number of subscribers, from nineteen in 1953 to more than 115,000 by the end of 2021. It has also evolved from an old building to a modern one that has become a landmark in the Eastern Province.

The Asharqia Chamber continued to expand its business and services horizontally, extending from Dammam to the governorates of the Eastern Province. Vertically, the chamber has witnessed many manifestations of development, including the establishment of a center for the development of small and medium enterprises, a training center, an investment center, a social responsibility center, a businesswomen center, and a special services center, in addition to other services and centers.

Asharqia Chamber comprises seventeen centers and branches, which are the following: The main branch in al-Hussam Neighborhood on the Dammam-al-Khubar highway in Dammam City, the VIP Center in Dammam, Women Empowerment Service Center in Dammam, Jubayl al-Balad Services Center in Prince Mashhoor Bin Abdulaziz Street, al-Qatif branch in Darin on the Riaydh street, al-Khafji branch in the neighborhood of government departments on King Faisal Street, First Industrial Service Center in Dammam in Modon Authority building, the Ministry of Commerce Service Center branch in Dammam in Badr Neighborhood on King Fahd Street, and the Khobar Services Center in al-Rawabi Neighborhood on King Faisal Street, Corniche Road.

As part of its list of centers and branches, Asharqia Chamber includes the West Dammam Service Center in al-Faisaliyah Neighborhood on Umar Ibn al-Khattab Street, the East Dammam Service Center in al-Shati' Neighborhood on Prince Mohammed Bin Fahd Road, Ras Tannurah Service Center in ad-Dana Neighborhood on King Abdulaziz Road, al-Buqayq Service Center on King Abdullah Street intersecting with Jeddah Street, the Second Industrial City Service Center in Dammam in Modon Building, al-Jubayl Industrial branch (al-Fanateer), an-Nu'ayriyyah Service Center in al-A'ziziyah Neighborhood on Abu Hadriyah Road in Hafr al-Batin, and Qaryat al-Ulya Service Center on Prince Naif Bin Abdulaziz Street.

The board of directors of Asharqia Chamber, which is formed every four years, consists of eighteen members. The nineteenth session of the board of directors (2022-2025) includes the chairman, two deputies, thirteen business leaders, and two businesswomen.

The board convenes at least once every two months (sixty days) upon the chairman's invitation, with the possibility of holding emergency meetings if necessary. The agenda of the meeting must be included in the invitation.

The board of directors of the chamber is responsible for approving the chamber's general policies and developing plans, programs, and projects that assist in fulfilling its duties. The board also reviews proposed administrative and financial regulations, chamber employee regulations, governance regulations, and training and scholarship regulations, and presents them to the general assembly for approval.

The board of directors also manages the chamber's fixed and movable assets and represents it in leasing, litigation, borrowing, and accepting donations. It monitors the chamber's performance and quarterly reports, reviews the annual report, final accounts, and draft budget for approval, and presents them to the chamber's general assembly for adoption. Additionally, the board provides the Ministry of Commerce with copies of these documents. The board of directors is responsible for appointing the secretary-general of the chamber, forming sectoral and internal committees, and delegating them as deemed appropriate.

The committees and councils of Asharqia Chamber specialize in developing economic sectors, studying issues and challenges facing the private sector, and seeking solutions. They also foster and monitor the shared interests of economic establishments in the province, and promote their roles through media coverage.

Moreover, they analyze the impacts of local, regional, and international economic events, variables, and phenomena on the performance of the sector's entities, proposing necessary actions. The committees and councils review the impacts of the existing or proposed regulations referred to them by the relevant state entities, seeking input from chamber members to clarify their positive and negative impacts on the sector's performance and provide recommendations and suggestions to improve them. Additionally, they conduct developmental and research studies, exploring new ideas and projects related to their activities aimed at development and growth.

The committees and councils seek to hold meetings and discussions with officials, presenting proposals to relevant authorities to overcome obstacles and difficulties facing these activities.

They work to enhance connectivity and collaboration among those working in the sector entities in the province, organizing regular meetings between owners and officials of these establishments. This is in addition to contributing to organizing seminars, lectures, and exhibitions relevant to the committee's activities.

Asharqia Chamber comprises three business councils, which are: Al-Qatif Business Council, al-Jubayl Business Council, and al-Khafji Business Council.

It also comprises twelve committees, which are: Commerce Committee, Industry and Energy Committee, Real Estate and Urban Development Committee, Finance Committee, Contractors Committee, Training and Education Committee, Logistics Committee, Agriculture and Food Committee, Health Committee, Communications and Technology Committee, Environment Committee, and Hospitality and Entertainment Committee.

By enhancing its operational system and performance, Asharqia Chamber achieved in 2022 the prestigious "Best Workplace Environment" certification from the global organization "Great Place to Work," known for its expertise in research and consulting. It became the first chamber of commerce in the Kingdom to receive this certification by meeting the organization's set standards. This achievement is attributable to its provision of an ideal work environment that adopts mechanisms for continuous development and applies various suitable avenues for its human elements, both psychologically and socially.

The Asharqia Chamber offers several electronic services through its website (chamber.org.sa) and digital portal, along with a customer relationship management system and self-service platform for employees. Additionally, it provides training and qualification services to align with the needs of the labor market.

In 2022, the chamber launched the loyalty program "Taqdeer" to provide discounts and offers to its members across various stores, markets, and specialized companies. The program aims to establish practical links between business sector institutions to stimulate commercial activities and provide exclusive services and benefits to the chamber members.