Washington, DC - Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs Charles H. Rivkin will travel to Doha, Qatar; and Riyadh and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, December 11–16.
In Qatar, December 11–12, Assistant Secretary Rivkin will co-lead, with Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Anne Patterson, an interagency delegation of U.S. officials to the second annual U.S.-Qatar Economic and Investment Dialogue (EID). Trade and investment between the United States and Qatar have reached record levels, and the EID will build upon that momentum. The dialogue will bring together key decision makers to identify concrete steps to generate economic growth, create jobs, and encourage strong business relationships between Qatari and U.S. companies in a way that enhances prosperity for both countries.
Assistant Secretary Rivkin will then travel to Saudi Arabia, December 13–16, to meet with Saudi government officials, U.S. and Saudi business leaders, and local entrepreneurs. In Riyadh, he will visit a General Electric (GE) center that is one of the winners of the 2016 Secretary of State’s Award for Corporate Excellence. GE’s creation of this facility, Saudi Arabia’s first all-women business services center – which now has over 1,000 employees – exemplifies GE’s inclusive hiring practices within the country. In Jeddah, the Assistant Secretary will meet with representatives of the business community, including female entrepreneurs.