About the Chamber
As a membership organization, our corporate members are leading players in a board range of sectors and headquartered in Britain and around the Arab world. Members benefit from our essential support that enables them to realize the enormous potential of Arab-British collaboration in the fields of business, trade and investment.
Our business services consist of prestigious and high-end business events, seminars and major conferences, which offer unique networking opportunities. The export documentation service meets all the certification and legalization requirements of exporters to the Arab markets providing an important safeguard for their goods.
The Arab-British Chamber of Commerce is a not-for profit membership organization established in 1975 under the General Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture for the Arab Countries.
The Chamber has a unique function in the promotion of bilateral trade and investment between Britain and the Arab countries. To achieve this we work in close co-operation with government ministries, official trade and investment bodies, Arab diplomatic missions in London, the British Chambers of Commerce, the League of Arab States, leading Arab businesses and Chambers of Commerce in the Arab world.
Our services to business include certification and legalization of trade documents, customized research and advice, visas, seminars, workshops, conferences, networking opportunities, Arabic-English translations, Arabic language and cultural training, venue hire facilities and quality publications.
The Chamber's distinguishing motto: 'Friendship through Trade' reflects the core aims of our organization.
Membership is open to all companies, associations and individuals who are involved in, or have an interest in, Arab-British commercial relations.
President: The Rt Hon Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean
Vision & Mission
Mission Statements
Our mission is to be the business partner of choice for all companies looking to make the most of the opportunities that emerge from the thriving bilateral trade and commercial relationship enjoyed by Britain and the Arab World.
Our Vision
It is our belief that Arab-British cooperation offers significant unlocked commercial potential. Our mission is to help businesses to maximize the benefits of this potential through the provision of modern professional services that will be seen as essential by companies seeking to do business in the Arab markets. Building stronger trade links is a fundamental part of strengthening the relations between Britain and the Arab World.
We aim to achieve our mission by:
- Promoting the benefits of corporate membership
- Improving our unique Export Documentation Service
- Delivering fast and accurate translation of technical and business documents
- Delivering a fast track business visa service
- Drawing the attention of businesses to new and emerging opportunities
- Hosting conferences, forums, seminars and business roundtables
- Facilitating trade missions and networking
Activities & Services
Trade Services
The Arab-British Chamber of Commerce offers a wide range of services for companies to help them do business. The services range from documentation for exporters, to ease their access to markets, customized research, business briefings, networking opportunities to translation and visa services.
Trade Services Department
The Chamber's unique Export Documentation service is an important asset to Arab-British trade. With our extensive experience, we are ideally positioned to assist exporters entering the substantial and sophisticated Arab market, encompassing all your certification and legalization needs.
It is essential when exporting to present the correct documentation as errors can be very expensive, leading to costly delays in payment and in clearing the goods, and even to non-payment.
The documentation service includes:
- Export Documentation Service
- Direct Member Documentation
- EUR1 ( members )
- FCO Service
- Notary Service
- Translation
- A-Cert Electronic Documentation Process
- Visa Service
- Express Service for Emergency Documentation.
- Market Entry Report / Research
- Business Services
Export Services and Documents
Our Export Documentation services are an important asset for companies engaged in Arab-British trade. It is vital to fulfil all the documentation requirements accurately. Any errors can lead to costly delays in getting paid and in the clearing of goods, and can even mean non-payment. You can avoid all this by using our service.
Member governments of the League of Arab States entrust the Chamber with the task of standardizing and coordinating the preparation and submission of commercial documents, for the export of goods from the UK to their countries.
The Chamber uses a unique, bilingual (English/Arabic) Certificate of Origin which conforms to international regulations and is accepted by all governments. Swift processing of documentation is ensured by the Chamber's nationwide network consisting of Agent Chambers who verify documents prior to submission to the ABCC for certification. The Chamber's close links with the Arab Embassies in London also facilitates prompt processing of your documentation. If requested, we are able to facilitate legalization of commercial documents by consular sections of the Arab Embassies.
Documentation Services for Arab Countries
For a guide to Arab Embassy requirements and Embassy legalization fees, please select the country you require from the list below. Please note that these details are subject to change – any changes will be posted directly on the website.
You will see that each country makes reference to Stream I and Stream II. Stream I means that the document is certified only by the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce. Stream II means that the document is legalized and certified by the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce. For some countries, you have the option of Stream I or Stream II, for others you do not.
Visa Services
If you are traveling on business to an Arab country and need a visa secured quickly and efficiently, then the Chamber's Visa Section is the ideal point of contact.
This service is available only to companies based, or with offices, in the United Kingdom. This service can only be provided for countries that have an embassy in London. Therefore, we are unable to provide a service for Djibouti, Mauritania and the Somali Democratic Republic as these countries do not have an embassy in London.
*Please note that the visa service to Saudi Arabia, is for ABCC members only.
The visa service is available for the following countries, please select the country for which you would like an application form.
Prices and Supporting Documents
You can either check the price and details of any necessary supporting documentation, or you can contact the London embassy of the Arab country concerned or you can contact the Visa Section of the Chamber.
Once you have determined the total cost of the service you require, you should send payment for the total amount to the Chamber. Payment must be accompanied by the passport(s), visa application form(s) and supporting documentation. All cheques should be made payable to the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce.
To ensure security, it is essential that passports are always sent by registered post, by courier, or delivered by hand.
Collecting Your Passport
If you have specified that you wish your passport to be sent back to you by courier, you should make arrangements for this to happen only after having ascertained that the passport is ready for collection, and after having informed the Visa Section of proposed collection arrangements.
If you wish to collect the passport yourself, please inform the Visa Section, giving an indication of your intended arrival date and time.
General Terms for Business Visa Applications through the Chamber
The Chamber’s visa service is available to all UK-headquartered firms and firms with offices in the UK, except in the case of visas for Saudi Arabia. The Chamber does its utmost to assist in obtaining visas in the shortest possible time. It cannot, however, guarantee when an embassy will issue a visa. In case of non-issuance of a visa, only embassy fees will be refunded. Applicants wishing to have their passports returned by post must enclose a stamped, addressed Special Delivery envelope.
Foreign Applicants (Except EU Nationals)
All applicants should have valid residence status in the UK.
The host company in the Arab country must send an invitation via fax, to the relevant consulate in London stating the following:
- Name of visitor
- Nationality
- Passport number
- Name of UK employer
Chamber Fees and Visa Services for Countries in the Middle East and North Africa
The Chamber's Visa Service is subject to an administrative charge of £36 for members and £72 for non-members. There are, of course, charges for the visa itself, which vary according to the country in question.
Cheques for the Total Amount Should Be Made Payable to the Arab-British Chamber Of Commerce
Please note that British citizens who are holders of UK & EU passports do not require a visa for Bahrain, Morocco, Kuwait, Tunisia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. A visa application for Saudi Arabia takes four working days to process. Please click here to view Saudi Arabian visa instructions and sample covering letter.
Research Services
The research Services Department is your point of contact for information concerning trade between the Arab world and the United Kingdom, in both directions.
The experienced staff in Business Services have access to a wide range of journals, directories, databases, contacts lists and statistics on both the Arab world and the United Kingdom and will be pleased to assist you in doing business.
Fees
The services available through the Department are subject to charges
Research and List Preparation Services
Research is not undertaken and data are not dispatched until full payment has been received
Members of the Chamber are entitled to substantial discounts on charges for research services, lists and publications. These usually amount to reductions of between 20% and 33% on prices applicable to non-members.
List Preparation Services
Rate for non-members: £2.50 per set of company contact details, with a minimum charge of £50 (plus VAT if based in the UK)
Discounted rate for members: £2.00 per set of company contact details, with a minimum charge of £40 (plus VAT, if based in the UK)
One set of company contact details normally comprises: Company name, address, telephone number(s), fax number(s), email address (where available), website (where available), and description of activities. Where an appropriate contact name is available, it will be included.
Lists are dispatched either by email in pdf format, or by fax or post. Data can also sometimes be supplied in the form of mailing labels, if required. The Chamber does not supply data in Excel sheet format
Custom Research Services - All other research work is charged on an hourly basis:
Rate for non-members: £25 an hour (plus VAT if based in the UK)
Discounted rate for members: £20 an hour (plus VAT if based in the UK)
Copyright
Please note that all research materials and data supplied by the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce (A-BCC) via its Research Service are copyright and for the sole use of the actual purchaser of the material. No A-BCC research materials or data may be copied, modified, uploaded, transmitted, posted, framed or distributed in any way without prior written permission of the A-BCC
Methods of Payment
Cheque - Cheques should be made payable to the 'Arab-British Chamber of Commerce'. Companies outside the UK should pay by STERLING Banker's Draft or by a cheque drawn on a UK bank. CHEQUES DRAWN ON OVERSEAS BANKS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. Failure to follow these and other conventions, such as signing or dating the cheque, will simply lead to delays in securing the information required.
Debit Cards - The Chamber accepts payment by UK Maestro, Solo and Visa Debit card. Please note that there is a surcharge of 1.5% if paying by debit card.
Credit Cards - The Chamber accepts payment by MasterCard credit card, Visa Business Credit card and Visa Corporate credit card. Please note that there is a surcharge of 5% if paying by credit card.
Translation Services
With over 35 years' experience in technical translation, the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce specializes in Arabic/English and English/Arabic translation and has excellent facilities and top quality staff. Our translators are officially qualified and are trained to handle your requirements accurately and professionally in both languages. Our experience lies in first class commercial, financial, legal and technical translation of the highest standard.
We welcome all types of documents for translation, including:
- Birth/marriage/baptism/divorce/death certificates
- Certificates of academic qualification
- Certificates of Origin
- Commercial invoices
- Company/personal financial documents
- Divorce documents from the Shar'i Mazun or from a court of law
- Memorandum & Articles of Association
- Passport details
- Translation of Passport Details into Arabic for the Libyan Embassy
The A-BCC is eligible to translate and stamp British and non-British passport details for the Libyan Embassy.
Requirements
Original passport to arrive at the Chamber before 11.30am - Monday to Friday
Collection will be on the same day at 4:30pm
Fee
The fee for this service is £30/passport
Authentication
The Chamber's translation service is officially recognized by all the Arab embassies in London and by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO). However, we strongly advise clients that the Foreign & Commonwealth Office should authenticate all official documentation translated from Arabic to English if it is to be used in the UK. Translation of official documents from English to Arabic, to be used in the Arab world, must be authenticated by both the FCO and the Arab embassy of the country where the document is to be used.
Translation Fees
|
Document |
Fees in GBP (including VAT) |
|
Birth/marriage/baptism/divorce/death certificates |
£60 |
|
Certificate of academic qualification |
£60 |
|
Academic Transcript |
£70 |
|
Certificate of Origin |
£36 |
|
Commercial invoice |
£48 |
|
Company/personal financial documents |
£60 |
|
Legal documents |
£72 (for up to 250 words) |
|
Passport details |
£30 |
Venue Hire
Choosing your corporate Venue is always an important decision because it sets the tone for the entire event. Set in the heart of London's Mayfair, the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce offers clients a contemporary venue to suit a variety of different events and meetings. The venue boasts several flexible conference, meeting and training rooms that can accommodate from 10 to 130 delegates.
Stylish, superbly equipped and with all rooms air conditioned and providing natural daylight. You will find the perfect venue for whatever type of event you are planning in central London. Meeting facilities are laid out on two floors, with state-of-the-art AV and PA presentation technology in each meeting room, on-site IT assistance and advice, and complimentary high-speed wireless internet access throughout your conference or meeting.
Our Venues Benefit From
Central London location
The Mayfair business meeting rooms combine a central London location with complete dedication to service and discretion. The Arab-British Chamber of Commerce is situated side by side with the Grosvenor Square embassy of the United States of America, and only moments away from the Marble Arch and Bond Street stations, making it a convenient and practical choice for meetings.
Superbly equipped meeting rooms
In the heart of London's prestigious Mayfair, each of our venues is equipped with the latest presentation technology, audio-visual and public address systems, and a dedicated on-site IT support technician available throughout your corporate event or business meeting.
Creative and inspiring
Our Mayfair venue provides a welcoming and infinitely flexible meeting space. The boardrooms are utterly unique in design, which gives them an unmatched character and helps to create an inspiring atmosphere; the Auditorium is modern and contemporarily equipped. All our rooms can be hired as one, or be customized separately for your event in order to create a completely personal space.
Courses & Training
The Chamber also provides various training courses to assist companies with their business. These include cultural awareness, language courses and courses relating to export procedures.
Master Class on Risk Management
Thursday, September 1st 2016
Understanding and Managing Risk
The Arab-British Chamber of Commerce is delighted to be working with CITI as its partner in delivering workshops and training. CITI is the UK government-appointed exclusive training provider for all project and program management training nationwide. Established more than twenty-five years ago, CITI provides support and education for a wide range of public and private sector organizations.
Risk management is a one day master class, for those who wish to understand and manage risk in a change environment.
Initiatives
Economic Focus
The magazine appears on a quarterly basis in print and as an e-book. It is the Chamber’s main publication and includes articles in both English and Arabic.
The lead articles focus on key topics that are of most interest to business people who are involved in investing and trading between Britain and the Arab markets.
Topics covered include reports on key industrial sectors, market studies, new projects, innovations, changes in legislation as they impact on doing business and profiles of leading companies.
Regular features consist of the British economic survey and interviews with some of the Chamber’s members.
In addition the magazine’s pages reflect the range of activities of the Chamber over the recent period.
Arab-British Monthly e-Bulletin
The Publications Unit at the Chamber produces ongoing publications: the Arab-British Business, the Arab-British Trade Directory and Economic Focus. Our publications highlight the dynamic developments occurring around the UK and the Arab world, which make it such a challenging and rewarding place to do business.
Choice of content is guided by the Chamber's founding ethic embodied in the motto, 'Friendship through Trade', a sentiment that remains as relevant today as when the Chamber was established more than 30 years ago.
Chamber Directories
The Arab-British Banking and Finance Directory is published annually. It contains up-to-date profiles of the banking, insurance and financial sectors of each of the Arab countries and also the UK.
These profiles and the accompanying editorial features on various topics are complemented by comprehensive listings of each country’s banks and financial institutions.
The directory is designed to be used as an information source for investors, companies seeking investment or anyone looking for financial institutions which are active in developing links between Britain and the Arab world.
The publication is available for purchase but is given to Chamber members as part of their membership package.
Events 2017
The Arab British Chamber of Commerce’s diverse and popular events program is geared towards investors, exporters, corporates and SMEs. Whether you are interested in finding new markets to sell your products, business leads, new clients, networking, expert briefings on the Arab markets, we will have an event that suits you and your business. Many of our events allow delegates to meet with government ministers, diplomats and senior business executives. Our events provide an important platform to showcase your products and services.
How to book your place(s) at the Arab British Chamber of Commerce event
- Select the events you want to attend from the events calendar below
- For paid events, use our online booking facility to complete a booking form. Once completed, you will receive an automated confirmation email with a unique invoice reference number. Prices are inclusive of VAT and full payment must be received to secure bookings.
- For free events, book by following the instructions under each event entry in the calendar below.
- Events are taken on a first-come first-served basis, however, certain events are opened to ABCC members prior to it being launched to non-members.
- You must pre-book your place at all Arab-British Chamber of Commerce events (both complimentary and ticket fee events)
- NB: our online booking system is unable to accept payment via AMEX.
Arab-British Chamber of Commerce New Year Reception
18-01-2017
The Arab British Chamber of Commerce welcomed in 2017 with a New Year reception held on the evening of Thursday 18th January. Approximately 130 leading figures from business, politics and diplomatic circles had accepted the Chamber’s invitation to attend the special event which was hosted by the Shangri-La Hotel at its spectacular venue located in the Shard.
Sudan Briefing
01-03-2017
The Arab British Chamber of Commerce hosted a briefing on doing business in Sudan on 1 March attended by executives from British companies keen on exploring opportunities in the market. The event was addressed by H E Mr Michael Aron, the British Ambassador to Sudan and his Sudanese counterpart in London, H E Mr Mohamed Eltom. It coincided with the visit to the UK of a business delegation from Sudan of senior executives from the US Sudan Business Council, headed by the Ambassador H E Mr Aron.
First Workshop: How to Identify the Right Property Investment
23-03-2017
Property Investment & Development Workshop
In partnership with Lifestyle Property London
The Arab British Chamber of Commerce has teamed up with Lifestyle Property London to introduce a series of Property Investment Workshops. These workshops will allow a support forum for those who are concerned in any way with property investments and developments.
Qatar-Uk Business and Investment Forum
27-03-2017
The Arab British Chamber of Commerce was delighted to have partnered with the Qatari and UK governments in the successful delivery of the Qatar-UK Business and Investment Forum, which took place at Grosvenor House Hotel, London, on 27 March. The conference saw the largest ever trade delegation from Qatar visiting London and was addressed by leading government ministers and business executives from Qatar and counterparts in the UK ensuring major media coverage.
Networking Event
29-03-2017
The Arab British Chamber of Commerce held a successful networking social evening on Wednesday 29 March which attracted up to 200 business people and took place in the luxury setting of the Rembrandt Hotel at its Kensington location. Hosted by the hotel, one the Chamber’s corporate members, the occasion brought together representatives of ABCC member companies and other firms who had not yet joined the Chamber.
