Abdulrahman Al-Hussein, the Ministry of Commerce's official spokesperson, stated that the Eastern Region drives economic growth and stimulates entrepreneurship, holding the third spot in the Kingdom for the number of trade registrations — more than 210,000 by Q3 2023.
He shared this during the inaugural Jusoor Awareness and Communication Forum, adding that small and medium-sized enterprises in the region exceed 136,000. Al-Khobar's Business Support Center has aided over 5,400 entrepreneurs this year alone with its services and consultations.
The Eastern Region is home to the largest Saudi Business Center branch, offering over 750 services for businesses and investors from its location in the Eastern Province Chamber tower.
Al-Hussein touched on the surge in various economic sectors, pointing out the most significant growth areas in the Eastern Region by the end of Q3 2023: logistics services by 73%, marine clubs by 72%, dock and seaport construction by 47%, artificial intelligence by 45%, and maritime transport and shipping, which saw a 27% increase.
On combating fraud, Al-Hussein stressed the importance of website authenticity as a primary defense and outlined the Ministry’s dual approach: daily proactive monitoring and collaborations with the E-Commerce Council and the Permanent Internet Security Committee, leading to the recent shutdown of over 200 fraudulent websites masquerading as the Ministry.
He further noted the Ministry's threefold strategy for community outreach: tailored awareness campaigns, prompt response to and resolution of complaints, and transparent information sharing, which empowers the business community to make data-driven decisions.
He underscored the necessity of public awareness about the perils of commercial fraud, revealing that targeted campaigns have rectified the statuses of over 19,000 businesses, including 2,216 in the Eastern Region, bringing them into compliance with governmental regulations.
Al-Hussein highlighted the critical role of collaboration and partnership between the Ministry and the public in reporting irregularities, which has been instrumental in exposing instances of commercial fraud and concealment not only in the Eastern Region but across the entire Kingdom.