The Business Groups in Kuwait Host Inter-Council Speed Networking Event

September 5th, 2022: The ABCK – AmCham Kuwait in collaboration with the Australian Business Group-Kuwait, British Business Forum-Kuwait, Canadian in Kuwait, French Business Council-Kuwait, German Business Council-Kuwait, Lebanese Business Council- Kuwait, Portuguese Business Council- Kuwait, and Spanish Business Council- Kuwait held an Inter-Council Speed Networking Event, attended by their respective members and friends. The event was held with the goal to continue fostering business relationships amongst the different business communities through the networking dinner.

The event started with the opening remarks by AmCham Kuwait’s Board of Directors Member – Omar Ben Naji the Managing Director for Everyware Pro Information Technology Consulting WLL who welcomed participants and gave a special welcome to the Canadian Ambassador H.E. Aliya Mawani, as well as other embassies who were present at the event including the U.S. Embassy, the Swiss Embassy, the French Embassy, the Kuwait Business Council in Dubai, and other diplomats.

Ben Naji opened the evening by explaining the purpose of the event and ensuring that participants knew that their business councils would be able to support them in introducing them to other executives who were present at the event. Ben Naji mentioned the importance of being part of a business community as these types of collaborations enable country relations to be enhanced with the host country and the councils’ respective countries.

Networking events provide an opportunity to meet new people and build relationships that can benefit businesses. Members are able to find valuable connections and meet people from all professional levels. The highlight of being part of business networking events is that guests/members are all together in an informal environment and are able to exchange the ideas of those who have been successful in their businesses, which provides them with a unique opportunity to learn from other executives.

The event was a success as it provided participants with a fun and effective way to connect with other businesses and expand their knowledge of the current news and local business market. The networking event concluded with a raffle draw that had several prizes from raffle donors. The first prize was two vouchers from Millennium Hotel and Convention Centre-Kuwait at Lamar and El Publico Restaurants, the second raffle prize was five goodie baskets from SADITA Holding Company, the third raffle prize was five vouchers from Al-Homaizi Food Stuff Industries-Al Rifai Arabia, the fourth raffle prize was two Air Pods from Al- Mulla Exchange and the highlight prize for the evening was provided by IFA Travel and Tourism, a business class ticket to Europe.

ABCK-AmCham Kuwait: Is a non-profit organization operating since 1985 and is composed of Fortune 500 corporations, small and medium-sized companies, and prominent business leaders and entrepreneurs, both American and Kuwaiti. ABCK-AmCham Kuwait has acted as an advocate for American interest in the state of Kuwait. For More Information, please visit our website at www.amchamkuwait.org or follow us on our social media channel @abck1985

ABCK-AmCham Kuwait and the U.S. Military host a Two Session Workshop on ‘How to do Business with the U.S. Military’

30^th of August 2022– Kuwait: ABCK-AmCham Kuwait hosted a 2-session workshop on ‘How to do Business with the U.S. Military with speakers from the U.S. Army’s Regional Contracting Center- Kuwait (RCC-KU), the 408^th Contracting Support Brigade (CSB) and the U.S. Air Force’s 386^th ECONS Expeditionary Wing. The event started with the opening remarks by AmCham Kuwait’s Chairman – Mr. Pete Swift, who welcomed and thanked the participants for taking the time to learn more about doing business with the U.S. Federal Government. The opening remarks were followed by introductory remarks by the newly appointed commander of RCC-KU Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Manuel Prado. Other members of the 408^th CSB were in attendance including the 408^th CSB Command Sergeant Major Angela M. Beckford, RCC-KU’s Deputy to the Commander, Mr. Wesley Harris, and RCC-KU’s Senior Enlisted Advisor, MSG Collis Doris.

The first part of the session was covered by the U.S. Air Force 386^th ECONS who targeted and covered topics such as Government Purchase Card (GPC) Program, Base Operations Support and Services (BOSS), Infrastructure, Base Access, Opportunities, and Pre-qualification requirements, and SAM/WAWF/JCCS review following with Workshop. Staff Sergeant Eduardo Vazquez Ortiz spoke about the GPC program as it is a mission to streamline payment procedures and reduce the administrative burden associated with purchasing supplies, and services. The GPC Flight makes all purchases under $35,000 US dollars (approx. 10,601.81 KWD) for supplies or services and is limited to $2,000 US dollars for construction purchases. SSgt Vazquez Ortiz also spoke about the common items procured via GPC which include printers/toner, TVs/speakers, furniture (desks/chairs), small construction projects, building materials, light bulbs, and plumbing/HVAC supplies.

Subsequently, the presenters provided an in-depth explanation of the Advantages of GPC, such as instant payment, which enables the vendor to receive the money instantly. GPC allows for a faster solicitation process, quicker delivery of the product or item, and allows GPC Flight to inquire with local vendors and purchase items directly.

Following the discussion, First Lieutenant Katherine Galgano from the 386^th ECONS spoke about BOSS Flight requirements that include commodities such as printer ink, gym, and sports equipment, GPS items, Printers, office furniture, bedding, mattresses, and transformers. Cleaning services such as washing/dryers, custodial, appliance maintenance services, linen laundry services, gym equipment maintenance, and refuse/ recycling sewer. Pool services such as lifeguard and pool maintenance, as well as vehicle leases such as trucks, SUVs, vans, and buses.

Following the 386^th’s presentation, SSG Christina Helsham, a Contracting Specialist from the RCC-KU, highlighted the role of RCC-KU which provides Cradle to Grave contracting and Contract Administration Services for U.S. Army Central Command (ARCENT) forces located in Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and other locations. RCC-KU procurement/requirements include commodities, services, and minor construction. SSG Helsham, also spoke about the systems in which vendors need to be registered in for larger contracts, specifically the System for Award Management (SAM), Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment (PIEE), Joint Contingency Contracting System (JCCS), and Synchronized Pre-deployment and Operational Tracker (SPOT). SSG Helsham also spoke about how to respond to solicitations and provided tips for answering solicitations.

To finalize the 1st Session, Mr. Sean Bryan, a Contracting Specialist from the RCC-KU, provided an in-depth presentation on what SAM is and how to validate a SAM account. The speaker also spoke about the importance of the timeline of the vendor’s account revalidation, as they suggested that they start the process 90 days prior to the expiration of the account. Mr. Bryan also provided a tip for vendors to ensure a higher percentage of account validation success. The presenter also spoke about the technical aspects of SAM such as Role management, Role management Assignment/Request, and Role management -Acceptance.

The presentation was followed by a WAWF review, done by Ms. Stacy Woolen and her team, in which they spoke about the benefits of WAWF, why WAWF is for electronic invoicing, and the role and support of ESS. The presenter went on to explain invoicing and the types of invoicing available including the 2 in-1 and the combo invoice workflow.

The next topic was covered by Mr. David Beach, who discussed JCCS Registration, as the speaker covered and explained how vendors can access JCCS. Mr. Beach specifically reviewed the steps required to register in JCCS and provided a step-by-step demonstration by establishing a fictional entity.

Moving to the second session, companies were able to have an in-depth Q&A with the U.S. military representatives, specifically on the topics of JCCS and SAM. The U.S. Military also held a simultaneous session for vendors who had more company-specific SAM/JCCS-related questions.

ABCK-AmCham Kuwait is a non-profit organization operating since 1985 and is composed of Fortune 500 corporations, small and medium-sized companies, and prominent business leaders and entrepreneurs, both American and Kuwaiti. ABCK-AmCham Kuwait acts as an advocate for American interest in the state of Kuwait. For More Information, please visit our website at www.amchamkuwait.org or follow us on the social media channels @abck1985

ABCK-AmCham Kuwait, EY Kuwait and Dalal Al Mulla Hosts a Tax Seminar

June 19, 2022- ABCK-AmCham Kuwait hosted a tax seminar in collaboration with EY Kuwait and Dalal Almulla Legal Group. The tax seminar was organized to provide an overview of the Corporate Income Tax landscape in Kuwait including recent developments. The seminar kicked off with opening remarks by Dr. Arezou Harraf, the Vice-Chair of the American Chamber of Commerce, as she welcomed the participants and introduced the key speakers for the event starting with Amit Arora, Tax Partner with EY Kuwait, and Dr. Nabeel Alexander, Consultant at Dallal Almulla Legal Group. Dr. Harraf also gave a special welcome to special guests from the Spanish Embassy, the Swiss Embassy, and the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority (KDIPA).

The first presentation by Amit Arora covered Kuwait’s corporate Income tax landscape and the recent developments. Amit discussed the economic landscape in Kuwait and its effect on doing business in Kuwait. He also spoke about the Corporate Income Tax regime in Kuwait, the 5% tax retention requirement, the possible introduction of VAT, transfer pricing-related updates in the region, and the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Law.

Amit started the presentation by covering some of Kuwait’s key economic indicators, such as the ranking of Kuwait among the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) countries. Oil reserves in Kuwait, the contribution of Oil and related products to Kuwait’s GDP and to the export revenue. Amit also discussed the current inflation in Kuwait and the composition of imports for Kuwait.

Subsequently, Amit highlighted the mega and active development projects in Kuwait which include construction, energy and industry, transport and power, and water, highlighting the number of opportunities for investment available in Kuwait.

Tying the discussion to foreign investment, Amit discussed the applicability of Corporate Income Tax on foreign companies in Kuwait and the taxes applicable on the Kuwaiti Shareholding Companies and the companies listed on the Kuwait stock exchange.

After providing an overview of applicable taxes in Kuwait, Amit discussed the obligations, exemptions, the option to obtain the advance No Objection Letter / Tax Clearance Certificate from the Kuwait Tax Authority, risks/tax exposure on failure to retain, and the requirement to submit copies of subcontract agreements for the 5% tax retention on payments.

Amit concluded his presentation by discussing the key role played by KDIPA in promoting foreign direct investment in Kuwait and the benefits granted by KDIPA to foreign investors (i.e. license to establish a 100% foreign-owned entity in Kuwait and tax exemptions).

For the second presentation, Dr. Alexander explained the U.S. taxation system for U.S. taxpayers, and what is considered to be a ‘U.S. Person’. A U.S. person does not necessarily have to be residing in the U.S. in order to be considered a taxpayer; Dr. Alexander explained that Green Card holders, citizens by birth, and naturalized citizens fall under this category, even if they have never resided in the U.S. The speaker mentioned the tax return for single >65 Min. annual income of $12,400, single <65 Min. annual income of $14,050, and couples>65 Min. annual income of $24,800. He also mentioned that Married couples have the option to file jointly and file separately, as he explained the benefits of each. Next, Dr. Alexander explained what the Foreign Bank Account Report (FBAR) was, why it came about, the requirements to file FBARs, the obligation, and the penalties for not failing to inform the U.S. government about a foreign bank account, whether it is intentional or unintentional. The speaker noted that foreign banks doing business with the US must assist the US search for tax violators by identifying US persons. The speaker expanded on returning tax filers and highlighted the Offshore Voluntary Disclosure Program (OVDP) which allows total forgiveness for previous errors in filing as it assumes that the lack of filing from the US person was not done on purpose- but was done due to the lack of knowledge or misinformation.  Dr. Alexander finalized his presentation by discussing the US government’s economic push through stimulus checks. He noted that many US persons have not received their checks due to them living abroad, and he explained how to inquire about it if the individual is living oversea. The session was concluded with an interactive Q&A session from the audience.

To learn more about Kuwait’s Tax framework, please reach out to Ernst & Young Kuwait at: [email protected]

To learn more about Filing taxes as a U.S. person, please reach out to Dalal Almulla Legal Group at: [email protected]

AmCham Kuwait Holds its Annual Board of Directors Elections for 2022

June 21, 2022- The American Business Council Kuwait– AmCham Kuwait held its Annual Board of Directors Election Night, at The United States Embassy in Kuwait, in attendance of 100 AmCham Kuwait Members and Embassy representatives.

In his opening statements, AmCham Kuwait’s Chairman- Pete Swift thanked the guests for being there, he thanked the current Board of Directors (BOD) for their work towards AmCham Kuwait’s vision and gave his best wishes to the new running candidates. Swift then introduced the Charge de Affaires James Holtsnider.

The Charge de Affairs thanked AmCham Kuwait’s Chairman for his remarks and then praised AmCham Kuwait as an organization for its achievements in advocacy for American corporations and corporations with American interest and thanked the current BOD Members for their contribution to the organization.

As the Charge d’Affaires speech was finalized, Swift introduced Dr. Arezou Harraf, Vice-Chair of AmCham Kuwait and Chair of the Nominations and Elections Committee. Dr. Harraf went on to explain how the voting and the ballots worked and introduced candidates as each of them gave their speech on why they should be part of the BOD and what each would be contributing to ABCK-AmCham Kuwait. The running candidates were Rt. Brig. Gen. Musaed AlHawli- Managing Director- Boeing (BA), Meziane Ghaoui Regional Business Manager- Honeywell (HON), Jody Mangus- Assistance to the president Saudi Arabian Chevron (SAC), Sam Jauhari- Chairman- Gulf Facilities General Trading & Contracting Co. (GFT), Issa Almasri- Business Development Manager-Kuwait Resources House (KRH), and Chester Bryniarski- Projects Contracts Manager-Project Management Consultant- Individual Member.

Once the speeches were finalized, AmCham’s Chairman took the time to recognize the event’s sponsors: Platinum sponsor and Champion GOFSCO, Gold sponsors: Kuwait Gulf Link (KGL), The American International School (AIS), Silver sponsors: Gulf Agency Company (GAC), The Sultan Center, and Event Travel and Tourism Partner:  IFA International Travel and Tourism.

To finalize, Members casted their votes into the Ballot Box, and the event was resumed with a buffet dinner by Hilton Kuwait Resort, followed by live entertainment from Jamstart.

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ABCK- AmCham Kuwait Hosts Annual Ramadan Iftar

May 15^th,^, 2022, The ABCK-AmCham Kuwait held their Annual Ramadan Iftar at the Crowne Plaza Al-Thuraya City Hotel, sponsored by the American University of Kuwait (AUK) as the Platinum Sponsor, Raytheon Technologies as the Gold Sponsor, and supported by the event’s Exclusive Airline Partner – KLM.

The annual event started with opening remarks by ABCK-AmCham Kuwait’s Chairman- Mr. Pete Swift, who welcomed participants as he gave a special welcome to Mr. James Holtsnider, Charge d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait, His Excellency Ambassador Jonathan Gilbert from the Australian Embassy, Mr. Mohammad Yaqoub, Assistant Director-General for Business Development at the Kuwait Direct Investment Promotion Authority , Brigadier General Darrin Slaten, Defense Attaché at the U.S. Embassy, The British Embassy representatives, the National Fund for SME Development, Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research , and guests of honor from KACCH & BACCH, represented by Dr. Maitham Husain and the leadership team.

Mr. Holtsnider, Charge d’affaires of the U.S. Embassy spoke about the importance of Ramadan, and his experiences throughout the region during the time of Ramadan. As Mr. Holtsnider ended his speech, Mr. Swift invited Dr. Rawda Awwad, President of AUK and Platinum sponsor for the event to the stage. Dr. Awwad stated, “What is so very unique about these gatherings, is the focus on our common humanity:  which means that we exhibit a need to belong and have purpose, while sharing empathy and compassion for those who are less fortunate, and the desire to do good.”

Mr. Swift invited the guests of honor for the evening from KACCH and BACCH to speak. Representing them was Dr. Maitham Husain. Dr. Husain spoke about Bayt Abdullah and KACCH’s initiatives on their support to young patients through their medical journey, by working with children’s hospital wards and creating a safe play environment for them while they get treated. Dr. Husain stated, “part of being a child is being able to play, we want to ensure that children getting treated are getting a sense of normalcy into their lives by creating playtime and having them participate in school activities as much as possible.” – KACCH & BACCH received the first-ever award given by AmCham Kuwait, called ‘Making a Difference’ as they make a major difference in the young patients’ lives on a daily basis.

“Ramadan is a time of communion, it is a time of reflecting, and most importantly it is a time of giving, and that is exactly what our guests of honor have been doing – especially throughout the pandemic. KACCH/BACCH have been ensuring that children’s healthcare and wellbeing remained a top priority; they have been doing this wonderful work through their initiatives on child life and therapeutic play programs for the children and their families, which I’m sure has made the children’s medical journey a much better one”- Mr. Pete Swift. Mr. Swift then finalized his speech by recognizing the event’s guests of honor, the sponsors, and the airline partner.

The evening resumed with live entertainment, a buffet dinner and networking. To finalize the evening, the AmCham Kuwait team held a raffle for participants. The 1st gifts were clocks provided by Essa Hussain Al Yousifi’s – Best Al Yousifi , the 2^nd prize came from the Al-Shaya Group: vouchers from Cheesecake Factory, PF Chang’s, and Babel restaurants. The 3rd prize was dinner invitation from Hilton Kuwait Resort at their famous Teatro restaurant. The 4^th prize was provided by Oncost/ Taiba Market: vouchers to be used at Taiba Market. The 5^th prize was from Habchi & Chalhoub’s Tory Burch which provided designer bags. The 6^th prize was provided by Al-Bahar Group’s – Cloud9- which provided a 65-inch screen smart QLED TV. Finally, the highlight prize for the evening was provided by the Exclusive Airline Partner- KLM: economy class tickets to the U.S.

ABCK-AmCham Kuwait: Is a non-profit organization operating since 1985 and is composed of Fortune 500 corporations, small and medium-sized companies, and prominent business leaders and entrepreneurs, both American and Kuwaiti. ABCK-AmCham Kuwait has functioned as an advocate for American interest in the state of Kuwait. For More Information, please visit our website at www.amchamkuwait.org or follow us on the social media channel @abck1985

ABCK- AmCham Kuwait Hosts a Women In Business Diwaniya

April 11, 2022. The ABCK – AmCham Kuwait hosted its 1^st-ever Women in Business Diwaniya, sponsored and hosted by Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel & Spa and in partnership with the U.S. Embassy of Kuwait. The event started with opening remarks by ABCK-AmCham Kuwait’s Vice Chairman- Dr. Arezou Harraf, who welcomed participants and gave a warm welcome to the Deputy Head of Mission of the British Embassy-Sunny Ahmed, the U.S. Embassy’s Counselor for Public Affairs Christy Watkins, and Women’s Rights Advocate Engineer Sara Akbar.

Dr. Harraf started the discussion by talking about the importance of women’s capacity building and mentorship in Kuwait, and the provision of professional mentorship and skill-building. Dr. Harraf also spoke about the opportunities that empower women in Kuwait, and how these can be utilized to aim to fulfil their economic potential.

After the opening remarks, Watkins stated “The U.S. Embassy aims to help women identify opportunities and develop competitive strategies in emerging sectors that are traditionally dominated by men in the U.S. and abroad, such as STEM, finance, infrastructure, hospitality, and healthcare”. She also added that the U.S. government supports the private sector industry, associations, and companies leading the charge to empower women in Kuwait, but also facilitates partnerships. Through insider perspectives, in conjunction with AmCham Kuwait and the U.S. Embassy, women can use these opportunities to develop paths to real change. She explained that it is imperative to mobilize female business owners, entrepreneurs, and change-makers who empower our communities for greater economic prosperity and distinct barriers to our advancement in the private sector including women entrepreneurs globally are lack of access to financing, market information, digital services, networks, and mentorship. She also explained that women entrepreneurs are a growing market force and serve as a critical source of innovation and job creation.

The White House launched the Women’s Global Development and Prosperity Initiative in February 2019 with the goal of economically empowering 50 million women by 2025. She mentioned the three pillars of this Initiative which are women prospering in the workforce; women succeeding as entrepreneurs, and women enabled in the economy.

Moving forward, participants discussed the importance of having role models in each industry, which will encourage even more young ladies to participate in the STEM sectors. Together, they discussed the different resources available within the group of participants and how these resources can be utilized to advance women’s economic growth in the country.

Finally, participants agreed to use such an initiative to address Kuwait’s specific needs, spread awareness, design events for capacity building and network so that mutual success can be fostered.

ABCK-AmCham Kuwait: Is a non-profit organization operating since 1985 and is composed of Fortune 500 corporations, small and medium-sized companies, and prominent business leaders and entrepreneurs, both American and Kuwaiti. ABCK-AmCham Kuwait has acted as an advocate for American interest in the state of Kuwait. For More Information, please visit our website at www.amchamkuwait.org or follow us on the social media channel @abck1985

Kuwait April 4^th, 2022:  ABCK-AmCham Kuwait in collaboration with the Lebanese Business Council (LBCK)- Kuwait hosted its networking event of the year by inviting its member companies and friends to participate in the event to foster new relationships among members during the networking dinner.

The event officially started with opening remarks by ABCK-AmCham Kuwait’s Chairman, Pete Swift, followed by LBCK -Kuwait’s Chairman Mohammed Najia who welcomed the participants and wished them an enjoyable event, and commented on the success of the previous Networking events.

After several virtual events, the return of in-person events provided opportunities for members to engage and connect with other individuals. Networking events aren’t just a particular type of gathering. Instead, members can find opportunities to find valuable connections at events and meet people from all professional levels.

The event was a success as it provided participants with a fun and effective way to connect with other businesses and expand their knowledge of the current news and local business market. The networking event concluded with a raffle draw that had several prizes from raffle donors. The first prize was two vouchers from Millennium Hotel and Convention Centre-Kuwait at Lamar Restaurant, the second raffle prize was two goody boxes from Sultan Centre and the final prize was two goody baskets from United Beverage Pepsi Co.

Finally, all the raffle sponsors were recognized and appreciated.

ABCK-AmCham Kuwait: Is a non-profit organization operating since 1985 and is composed of Fortune 500 corporations, small and medium sized companies, and prominent business leaders and entrepreneurs, both American and Kuwaiti. ABCK-AmCham Kuwait has acted as an advocate for American interest in the state of Kuwait. For More Information, please visit our website at www.amchamkuwait.org or follow us on social media channel @abck1985