Jubail: In a significant step toward strengthening community entrepreneurship, the Beary Chamber of Commerce and Industries (BCCI), Saudi Arabia Chapter, successfully hosted its ‘Empower and Comply’ seminar at Karan Hotel, Fanateer.

The event brought together CEOs, entrepreneurs, and business leaders from the Beary community across major Saudi cities, including Riyadh, Jeddah, Dammam, Jubail, and Yanbu. A total of 135 representatives from Beary-owned companies participated, reflecting the growing strength of the community, which now operates over 600 businesses across the Kingdom.

Presiding over the seminar, BCCI President and CEO of Al Muzain Company, Zakaria Jokatte, urged entrepreneurs to strictly adhere to Saudi Arabia’s financial and legal regulations. He emphasized the importance of compliance for sustainable growth and reaffirmed BCCI’s commitment to fostering unity and cooperation within the community. He also announced plans to organize similar seminars in Riyadh, Jeddah, and Yanbu.

BCCI General Secretary and Director of Al Akhdood Company, Ummer Farooq, highlighted the rich entrepreneurial legacy of the Beary community. Citing historical data from the 1891 Dakshin Kannada census, he noted that 90,345 out of 95,000 businessmen belonged to the Beary community. He acknowledged the challenges faced following the boycott of Western education during the freedom struggle, but added that the 1971 oil and gas boom opened new opportunities, leading many Bearys to migrate to Saudi Arabia as workers before eventually establishing successful businesses.

Since the formation of its Jubail Chapter in 2019, BCCI has facilitated the registration of more than 600 Beary-owned companies with the Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority (SAGIA), with plans to further expand this number. Farooq also paid tribute to late BCCI leaders SM Basheer, B.M. Mumthaz Ali, Shareef Jokatte, and Noushad Suralpady for their valuable contributions to the community.

The seminar featured expert sessions by Ahsan Abdullah, CMA and founder of Tass and Hamjit Financial Advisory, who spoke on ‘Financial Discipline for Scaling Your Business in KSA’, and Ayoob Mohammed Musthafa, Commercial Legal Advisor at Al Ajaleen Law Firm, who presented on ‘Legal Strategies for Doing Business in KSA’.

Prominent guests at the event included Yunus Sayyed, Founder and Managing Director of Precision Engineering Group; K.S. Abdul Rahim, Vice President and Director of Expertise Company; Shareef Bolar, CEO of Whitestone Group; Zainuddeen Munnur, CEO of Grey Line Group of Companies; and Dr. Abdul Shakeel, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and social activist.

The dignitaries were welcomed with bouquets by Ameer Abbas, Co-founder and CEO of Red Dot Co; Mohammed Farook, General Manager of Portway Travel & Tourism Agency; Abdul Razzak, Co-founder and CEO of KMT Company; Abdul Basheer, CEO of Al Falak Co; and Ismail Ahmed, CEO of Titan Contracting Company.

The program commenced with a Qirath recitation by Hafiz Muhammad Mueez Usman. The welcome address was delivered by a BCCI Secretary and Director of Al Akhdood Company, followed by a vote of thanks by Executive Committee Member Faruq Abbas. The event was compered by Danish Mohammed Haneef, BCCI Executive Committee Member and Consulting Partner at Aurex Consulting Company.

The seminar served as a valuable platform for networking, knowledge sharing, business collaboration, and strengthening unity among Beary entrepreneurs across Saudi Arabia.