Statement by the U.S. Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Joseph W. Westphal
2016 Global Entrepreneurship Summit Delegates from Saudi Arabia
“I am happy to announce that Rafah Alkhatib, Nermin Sa’d, Ahmed Hamdan, Salem Alenzi, Salim Hammoud, Ahmad Shadid, Hamza Raad, Raoum AlSuhaibani, Bader al-Zahrani, and Mazen Hayek will attend the Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES), which will take place June 22-24, 2016 in Palo Alto, California. They will be joining more than 700 entrepreneurs from around the world along with investors, speakers, and leaders in the entrepreneurship space.
These innovative entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship advocates will be joined by high-level U.S. Government officials, including President Barack Obama, Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker, Administrator of the Small Business Administration Maria Contreras-Sweet, Administrator of USAID Gayle Smith, Ambassador at-Large for Global Women’s Issues Catherine Russell, and Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Richard Stengel.
This Summit will be the 7th installment in a series previously hosted by the United States and the governments of Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Morocco, and Kenya. In bringing the Summit back to the United States, President Obama highlights his commitment to building bridges that help us tackle global challenges together.
I welcome Saudi Arabia’s pledge to increase support for entrepreneurs across the Kingdom under the auspices of Vision 2030, and I look forward to continued cooperation with private and public-sector stakeholders to help unlock Saudi Arabia’s entrepreneurial potential.”
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Joseph W. Westphal
Ambassador of the United States of America to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
