Washington, DC – The National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce (NUSACC) and its partners bid farewell today to delegates of the Arab & American Business Fellowship Program - a private sector led exchange program that gives executives an accelerated course in cross-cultural business to build relationships that foster corporate success through cultivating business leaders. Now in its third year, the Fellowship Program brought 15 young business leaders from the Arab world to the United States and sent 12 young business leaders from the United States to the Arab world in recent weeks. The fellowship program is organized by Business for Diplomatic Action (New York), the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy (Iowa), Young Arab Leaders (Dubai, UAE) and the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce.

H.E. Adel Al-Jubeir, Saudi Arabia’s Ambassador to the United States, hosted a “sendoff reception” at the Saudi Embassy in Washington for the 27 delegates and 150 guests. He noted, “Fostering business-to-business relationships is a critical part of building a foundation of mutual understanding for future generations of the Arab and American business communities.” David Hamod, President & CEO of the National U.S.-Arab Chamber of Commerce, highlighted the “extraordinary commitment of these rising business leaders, from both cultures, who are dispelling stereotypes while laying groundwork for future business deals between the United States and the Arab world.”

While in Washington, D.C. this week, Arab fellows met with a wide array of decision makers, including Members of Congress, Obama Administration officials, U.S. business leaders, policy think tanks, and media persons. These included Members of Congress such as Jim Moran (D-Virginia), Joe Wilson (R-South Carolina), and Betty McCollum (D-Minnesota). The Honorable Rochelle Lipsitz, Assistant Secretary & Acting Director General of the U.S. & Foreign Commercial Service also hosted the delegation along with senior members at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Arab business fellows from Bahrain, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the U.A.E. traveled to Iowa, Illinois, Michigan, New York, and Washington, D.C. American business fellows visited Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Palestine, and the United Arab Emirates. The program was hosted by corporate sponsors including Dow Chemical Company, Motorola, Mid-American Energy, RR Donnelley, and DDB Worldwide Communications Group among others. It is designed to promote business and diplomatic understanding between the peoples of the United States and the Arab world.