Saudi British Joint Business Council (SBJBC)

Name

Saudi British Joint Business Council (SBJBC)

Legal name

Saudi British Joint Business Council

Website

https://sbjbc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Council Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Shariah Governance, Compliance & Advisory (Shariah Boards, Audit, Fatwa) (FSABAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Islamic Corporate Banking (FSABAGAC)

Keywords

• Bilateral business council
• Trade facilitation services
• Market entry advisory
• Cross-border investment
• Business networking events

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees providing access to networking events, business briefings, research publications, and advocacy services. Membership is open to UK and Saudi registered companies with genuine business interests in both markets.
2. Event Revenue: Ticket sales for summits and forums including the UK-Saudi Investment & Partnership Summit (£400 + VAT for non-members) and UK-Saudi Sports Investment Forum (£150 for non-members). Members receive complimentary or discounted access.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SBJBC is a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee that operates as the official bilateral business council between the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia, delivering membership services, business briefings, the Saudi UK Tech Hub, the UK-Saudi Investment & Partnership Summit, and bespoke research and advisory work. It operates dual secretariats — headquarters in London and a Saudi Secretariat in Riyadh — and is operationally supported by the Saudi Ministry of Investment, which provides office space in London. Its commercial offering is anchored by annual corporate memberships and recurring member and non-member events, with sponsorship support from partners such as the Saudi British Bank.

Product overview

The Saudi British Joint Business Council (SBJBC) is a business association organization, not a technology product company. It operates as a platform of services connecting UK and Saudi businesses rather than a unified software product. The core offerings include membership services, events & networking, research & advisory services, and member advocacy. The Saudi UK Tech Hub is a subsidiary initiative launched in 2022 that focuses specifically on connecting tech ecosystems across fintech, cleantech, and healthtech sectors. The organization hosts flagship events including the annual UK-Saudi Investment & Partnership Summit. These services function together as an integrated business development ecosystem rather than a modular software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SBJBC Membership Annual corporate membership of the Saudi British Joint Business Council, granting UK and Saudi companies access to the council's bilateral network of 200+ senior business representatives, briefings, advisory services, and member discounts on events. It is targeted at corporates and SMEs on both sides seeking structured cross-border market entry and partnership support.
• Saudi UK Tech Hub Dedicated bilateral technology facilitation facility operated by SBJBC in both the UK and Saudi Arabia, supporting technology startups, scale-ups, and corporates in cross-border commercialization, partnerships, and investor engagement across the two markets.
• UK-Saudi Investment & Partnership Summit Flagship annual summit convened by SBJBC to bring together UK and Saudi investors, corporates, and government stakeholders for deal-making and partnership formation, with sponsorship support from partners such as the Saudi British Bank.
• Business Briefings and Networking Events Recurring in-person and hybrid events in London and Riyadh, including themed business briefings and networking sessions, available to SBJBC members and (at premium pricing) to non-members, designed to introduce companies to senior stakeholders and curated market intelligence.
• Bespoke Research and Advisory Services Custom research, market intelligence, and advisory engagements delivered by SBJBC — led personally by the CEO — to member companies seeking tailored UK–Saudi market entry, partnership, or investment support.
• Signature Football Match Event (Newcastle vs Al-Ahli) High-profile SBJBC-hosted football match event featuring Newcastle United versus Al-Ahli, used as a flagship networking and hospitality occasion for senior UK and Saudi business and government stakeholders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 200 member representatives across UK and Saudi business community
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, key and supporting.

• Saudi Ministry of Communications & ITcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 October 2022Signed MoU with SBJBC on Saudi UK Tech Hub development, formalizing government partnership for technology ecosystem collaboration.
• FII Institute (Future Investment Initiative Institute)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2022Founding partner of the Saudi UK Tech Hub established in 2022. FII Institute provides strategic support and alignment with Saudi Vision 2030 objectives for technology and innovation collaboration between UK and Saudi Arabia.
• UK Science & Innovation NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2022Founding partner of the Saudi UK Tech Hub established in 2022. SIN provides expertise and connections in UK scientific and innovation ecosystem to support cross-border technology partnerships.
• Saudi Ministry of Communications & IT (MCIT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2022Founding partner of the Saudi UK Tech Hub. MCIT provides government backing and regulatory alignment for tech sector collaboration between UK and Saudi tech ecosystems.
• British Chambers of CommercecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBJBC UK is an international affiliate of the British Chambers of Commerce, providing access to the wider UK chamber network and 53 accredited UK Chambers operating in over 75 international markets.
• Federation of Saudi ChamberscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Saudi Secretariat of SBJBC is based within the Federation of Saudi Chambers in Riyadh. FSC is the umbrella and only representative of the Saudi business community.
• Department for Business & Trade (DBT)keyGTM or Marketing PartnerUK government department supporting economic growth, working with SBJBC on events such as 24 Fintech representation and wider trade facilitation activities.
• KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner of Saudi UK Tech Hub. KAUST contributes research capabilities and innovation expertise to the tech ecosystem collaboration.
• Saudi Awwal Bank (SAB)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerSupporting partner of Saudi UK Tech Hub. SAB provides financial sector expertise and connections within Saudi banking ecosystem.
• Jersey FinancesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCollaborating with SBJBC on Capital, Growth & Resilience roundtable exploring investment structures and cross-border capital flows.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• British Chambers of Commerce: UK-wide chamber network of which SBJBC is a formal international affiliate. Both operate membership-based models convening UK businesses for international trade facilitation, share governance and accreditation frameworks, and compete for the same corporate member mindshare on trade services.
• British American Business (BAB): The leading transatlantic bilateral business organization linking the UK and US. It shares SBJBC's private-sector-led, membership-based, advocacy-plus-events model and operates analogous flagship programming for senior business and government stakeholders.
• UK India Business Council: A UK government-supported bilateral chamber for UK-India trade and investment. Operates the same membership-plus-events-plus-trade-mission model as SBJBC and provides the closest structural analog for how a bilateral council scales member services around a single corridor.
• Saudi British Society: A UK-registered non-profit with a closely overlapping mission of strengthening cultural, diplomatic, and business ties between Saudi Arabia and the UK. Both organizations target similar high-level Anglo-Saudi networks and overlap on bilateral engagement programming.
• Federation of Saudi Chambers (FSC): The umbrella representative of the Saudi business community, inside which SBJBC's Saudi Secretariat is physically housed. It is the apex counterpart on the Saudi side, providing member accreditation, policy advocacy, and cross-border business facilitation services analogous to SBJBC's role.
• Middle East Association (MEA): A UK trade association supporting British companies across the wider Middle East and North Africa. It overlaps with SBJBC's UK-Saudi remit but with broader regional coverage, similar events and briefing programs, and a comparable subscription/membership commercial model.
• US-Saudi Business Council: A bilateral business council under the National Council of Commerce and Human Resources that links US companies with Saudi opportunities. Structurally identical to SBJBC: membership-driven, sector-focused, government-anchored, convening summits and trade missions for cross-border deal flow.

Regional players

• Asia House: A London-based think tank and business advisory focused on Asia-Middle East commercial and policy engagement. Directly comparable as it was the prior employer of SBJBC CEO Cordelia Begbie (Head of Middle East), and operates a similar events-plus-research-plus-network model targeting cross-border deal flow.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sbjbc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/9178355

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Saudi British Joint Business Council (SBJBC)