In recent years, the American Business Council of the Gulf Countries (ABCGC) has established itself as the voice of American Business in the vital Gulf Region. An affiliate of the U.S. chamber of Commerce, the ABCGC is made up of eight American chambers of commerce (AmChams) operating in the region.

The ABCGC represents the more than 700 U.S. companies doing business in the Gulf, where it fosters American business activities and actively encourages U.S. Government policies that promote America's commercial interests in the region. The ABCGC is one of four such regional umbrella groups. The Association of American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America (AACCLA), the Asia Pacific Council of American Chambers of Commerce (APCAC), and the European Council of American Chambers of Commerce (ECACC) provide similar representation to U.S. businesses and expatriates around the world.

In the six nations of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) -Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates -American businessmen and businesswomen are promoting U.S. exports in the face of intense international competition. Largely as a result of their work and the special friendship that the United States shares with the GCC nations, U.S. sales of goods and services to the GCC have totaled more than $20 billion annually. This creates or sustains more than half a million jobs in the United States.

While some of its individual member associations have been in existence since 1976, the ABCGC was officially established in 1989. Since its inception, this voluntary, nonpartisan, and nonprofit organization has actively fostered improved economic relations between the United States and the GCC countries through trade and investment, as well as cross-cultural exchange and mutual understanding. The ABCGC is widely recognized for its contributions in these areas, both in the United States and the Gulf, and it continues to play an instrumental role in building economic, political and cultural bridges between the two regions.

SOURCE: American Business Council of the Gulf Countries