14th December, 2018

The Arab British Chamber of Commerce held its Annual Winter Reception on the evening of Tuesday 11th December 2018.

The reception took place at the Pestana Chelsea Bridge Hotel in the presence of Arab Ambassadors and dignitaries, diplomats, ABCC Board members, senior business executives and friends of the ABCC. Brief welcoming remarks were delivered by Mr Abdeslam El-Idrissi, newly appointed Deputy CEO & Secretary General of the ABCC, who stated that the main purpose of the reception was to thank the Chamber’s members and friends for all their support.  

Mr El-Idrissi stated that the Chamber was proud to introduce its new Secretary General & CEO, Mr Bandar Ali Reda, who was present at the reception. Mr Bandar Ali Reda, the nominee of the Union of Arab Chambers for the post, had been unanimously appointed by the ABCC’s Board of Directors when they met earlier that day.

Dr Khaled Hanafy, Secretary General of the Union of Arab Chambers, expressed full support for the ABCC and paid a tribute to its work to enhance UK-Arab business relations. Dr Hanafy described the appointment of the new CEO as an opportunity to deepen the strategic alliance between the UK and the Arab World. The Arab-British partnership was increasingly important to meet the challenges and opportunities of a world facing rapid change and new patterns of doing business and trade.

Mr Mohamad Abdo Saeed, President of the Union of Arab Chamber, was among the 150 distinguished guests who had accepted the Chamber’s invitation to attend the reception. Mr El-Idrissi thanked all the staff at Pestana Chelsea Bridge Hotel & Spa and GHS Global Hospitality for their hospitality and generosity in hosting the Winter Reception. Ms Michelle Brown, Director of Sales & Marketing, Pestana Chelsea Bridge Hotel, expressed her appreciation of working with the ABCC. Ms Lara Martins, a professional musical artiste, enchanted the guests with a selection of carols and seasonal songs.