Social media played a key role in connecting the speakers, attendees, and followers worldwide during the U.S.-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum presented in Los Angeles September 16-18, 2013. The Saudi-US Trade Group (SUSTG), in coordination with the top-flight Saudi members of the SUSTG’s Student Ambassador Program, organized this social media effort across all major platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Vimeo, and LinkedIn.
Below is a handpicked summary of our favorite Tweets and interactions from the Forum, which brought together high-level government and private-sector figures from both Saudi Arabia and the United States.
***
Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker tweets about her speech at the Forum:
Spoke at the U.S.-Saudi Business Forum in LA. Our two-way trade has tripled from a decade ago: http://t.co/v0tfWbuLYb pic.twitter.com/oNClsMjHEF
— Penny Pritzker (@CommerceSec) September 17, 2013
…which was also Tweeted out from the official Department of Commerce handle:
.@CommerceSec Penny Pritzker Delivers Keynote Remarks at the @USSaudiForum http://t.co/HE2K3sTPBG
— U.S. Commerce Dept. (@CommerceGov) September 17, 2013
Undersecretary Francisco Sànchez, also from the Department of Commerce, thanked the organizers:
Many thanks to the @USSaudiForum for allowing me to participate! Such a great event.
— Francisco J. Sánchez (@UnderSecSanchez) September 18, 2013
Saudi blogger Ahmed al-Omran retweeted a photo and tweet from the official handle of the Forum:
Saudi Minister of Commerce and Industry @tfrabiah speaks during @USSaudiForum in Los Angeles pic.twitter.com/MgcH1QFuGX
— Ahmed Al Omran (@ahmed) September 18, 2013
Speakers and MCI officials Walid Abukhaled and Majdi Al-Sahhaf discuss their participation in Los Angeles:
@malsahhaf no thing compared to you 🙂
— Walid Abukhaled (@WalidAbukhaled) September 22, 2013
The Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia tweeted several times about the Forum:
Saudi Min of Commerce & Ind: Saudi-US trade over the past year reached more than $73 billion http://t.co/1YlSADDeHv @SaudiMCI @USSaudiForum
— Saudi Embassy (@SaudiEmbassyUSA) September 18, 2013
Speakers that were of particular interest to attendees were tweeted (with photos) frequently:
100 billion dollars will be spent on transportation in Saudi in the next 5 years #USSaudiForum
— غاده غنيم الغنيم (@GhadahAlghunaim) September 17, 2013
H.E. Khaled Al-Molhem talking about the air transportation in Saudi #USSaudiforum pic.twitter.com/XF89GJHd57
— Saudi-US Trade Group (@SUSTG) September 17, 2013
Munir Rafie explains that effective trade creates jobs and wealth in both the US and Saudi Arabia #USSaudiForum
— Nouf Al Sadiq (@NoufAlSadiq) September 18, 2013
#USSaudiForum Eng. Saleh alnazha on the stage now talking about National priority and international opportunity. pic.twitter.com/99oRQO19NQ
— RandaAlmadah (@RandaAlmadah) September 18, 2013
Videos are available online at the Forum’s VIMEO account:
If you missed the #USSaudiForum or want to watch specific panel,go to http://t.co/6ehF1eeurj. I encourage everyone to watch them.@saudiinusa
— ⛔Moe Baaqil (@mbaaqil) September 19, 2013
After the Forum, lead organizer Omar Bahlaiwa gave an interview with SUSRIS, our sister website:
Omar Bahlaiwa on what you missed at the US-Saudi Business Opportunities Forum #ussaudiforum http://t.co/4i7L8nysES
— SUSRIS (@saudius) October 1, 2013
$1 Trillion in investments in the #solar #PV market in Saudi Arabia in the next 7 years, says Ahmad Chatila of SunEdison #USSaudiForum
— U.S.-Saudi Forum (@USSaudiForum) September 18, 2013
Saudis in USA at the #USSaudiForum http://t.co/9Q5mvZ3IuP
— سعوديون في أمريكا (@saudiinusa) September 17, 2013
Thanks @JayBhattTweets for sharing your authentic thoughts on #education2020 at #USSaudiForum pic.twitter.com/rJGOySeQWd
— Abhi Madhugiri (@abhisecho) September 17, 2013
You can always communicate with us at SUSTG. Follow us on Twitter (@SUSTG), Instagram (@SUSTG_org), or on Facebook (fb.com/saudi-us-trade) to stay current on the most important Saudi business and commercial news and commentary, as well as other important storylines from Saudi Arabia and beyond.
