The Arab British Chamber of Commerce first emerges with the historic decision to create Joint Chambers of Commerce taken by the Economic Council of the League of Arab States in the early seventies. This led to the decision by the Arab Governments to set up the Chamber under a decree of the League of Arab States which gave it a mandate to: ‘promote, encourage and facilitate bilateral trade.’ This was followed by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) formally granting the Chamber a licence to operate on 10 January 1975.

The Chamber was officially founded by incorporation and registration on 6 February 1975, with the status of a non political and non-profit making company, and the first Board of Directors was elected. Mr Abdul Karim Al-Mudaris was appointed its first Secretary General and remained in post for nearly 30 years.

In October 1976 the Chamber began issuing Certificates of Origin for goods exported from Britain to Arab countries, after securing a licence from the DTI. The form of the Certificates of Origin was designed in consultation with the DTI and in conformity with international standards. The Chamber’s Certificate of Origin was recognised by all Arab countries as an official document to be completed and certified by the Chamber and legalised by Arab consular authorities accredited in the UK.

In 1980, the distinguished diplomat Sir Richard Beaumont assumed the Chairmanship of the Chamber and the Board was composed of 40 leading Arab and British business executives, officials, bankers and industrialists. A new departmental structure was put in place, reflecting the numerous functions of the Chamber and administered by highly qualified Arab and British staff.

In 1981 the Chamber launched its first Annual Trade Directory, published in both Arabic and English, containing detailed economic surveys of each Arab market and of the United Kingdom. The Chamber’s Directory contained a full listing of its members.

A milestone in the Chamber’s history was its move to new premises at 6 Belgrave Square, where all the separate departments were brought under one roof for the first time. The building was officially inaugurated on 18 September 1985 by the then Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Lord Howe, and the Arab ambassadors in London.

With the emergence of the European Union as a single market and a more unified body with regards to trade agreements, the Chamber began to focus more on the European dimension of business and its activities sought to explain the policies of the EU to Arab businesses and policy makers. Britain and other European countries benefited from the rapid growth of the Arab economies which created new opportunities for technology, skills and services.

Following a period of structural modernisation and the outsourcing of a number of its services in response to changing times, the Chamber relocated from its Belgrave Square headquarters to temporary offices in Jermyn Street and then officially opened at its current address at 43 Upper Grosvenor Street in the prestigious Mayfair district of London in May 2006.

Dr Afnan Al-Shuaiby was appointed Secretary General and Chief Executive of the ABCC, becoming the first woman to lead the Chamber.

Mr Bandar Ali Reda is appointed Secretary General & CEO of the ABCC, bringing his wealth of experience in the private sector and in the diplomatic service of his country, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The first challenge that Mr Reda faced on taking up the post was to lead the ABCC through the COVID-19 pandemic during which the Chamber proved its resilience by remaining open and successfully delivering its services to business during the months of lockdown.