Saudi-Chinese Business Council

What Saudi-Chinese Business Council does

The Saudi-Chinese Business Council (SCBC) is a bilateral trade facilitation organization headquartered in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, established in 2003 through an agreement between the Federation of Saudi Chambers and the Arab-Chinese Friendship Association. It operates under regulatory frameworks approved by Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Commerce and supervised by the General Authority for Foreign Trade, and holds a strategic cooperation agreement with the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT). Its core purpose is to bridge the public and private sectors of Saudi Arabia and China in support of Saudi Vision 2030 and China's Belt and Road Initiative, connecting more than 2,100 Saudi members with Chinese counterparties across multiple sectors.

SCBC delivers its services through a portfolio of membership offerings rather than a unified software platform: Find a Partner (B2B matching), Newsletters and Reports (market intelligence), SCBC Events (forums, delegations, conferences, workshops), Join Committees (sector-specific participation), Commercial Visas (travel assistance), Resolve Obstacles (issue tracking for members), and Investment Guides (bilateral market-entry resources). The operating model is event-driven and community-led: high-level forums, business delegations, and B2B matching sessions are the primary engagement surface, supplemented by direct services such as commercial visa assistance and obstacle resolution. Marketing channels include the official website (in Arabic, English, and Chinese), Twitter/X, LinkedIn, and participation in bilateral forums.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring membership fees and ancillary service fees; pricing is not publicly disclosed and prospective members are directed to official channels. With 11-50 employees, the cost base is modest and the council is effectively underwritten institutionally by the Federation of Saudi Chambers and GAFT, allowing it to operate at sub-commercial scale. Recent strategic activity in early 2026 includes MOUs in mining, sector-specific workshops in gaming and healthcare, and sub-national Chinese engagements (Yunnan, Hong Kong), suggesting continued broadening of scope rather than commercial monetization.

Name

Saudi-Chinese Business Council

Legal name

Saudi Chinese Business Council

Website

https://scbcouncil.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Saudi-Chinese Business Council (SCBC) is a Riyadh-based bilateral trade facilitation body, established in 2003, that connects more than 2,100 Saudi member businesses with Chinese counterparts through B2B matching, delegations, sector workshops, and investment guides under the supervision of the Federation of Saudi Chambers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Facilitation Services

NAICS

Business Associations (81391), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

International Affairs (9721), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Protocol, State Visits & Diplomatic Events Management (BPAIAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB)

Keywords

• Bilateral trade facilitation
• Business council services
• Partner matching services
• Investment promotion services
• Trade mission coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Riyadh

HQ country

Saudi Arabia

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees and services: SCBC generates revenue through membership fees, providing services such as partner matching, commercial visas, newsletters and reports, event access, and participation in specialized committees to its members.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Saudi-Chinese Business Council (SCBC) is a bilateral trade facilitation organization that promotes trade, investment, and industrial cooperation between Saudi Arabia and China. It offers membership-based services including business partner matching, commercial visa assistance, sector-specific committees, economic newsletters and reports, delegation visits, bilateral forums, workshops, and obstacle resolution for member companies operating across the two markets.

Product overview

The Saudi Chinese Business Council (SCBC) is a bilateral business council platform—not a software product—that provides a portfolio of services to facilitate trade and investment between Saudi Arabia and China. The core service offerings include: Find a Partner (business matching), Newsletters and Reports (market intelligence), SCBC Events (forums, delegations, workshops), Join Committees (sector-specific participation), Commercial Visas (travel assistance), Resolve Obstacles (business problem resolution), and Investment Guides (market entry resources). These services are delivered through the council's website and direct engagement, without a unified software platform or product modules.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Find a Partner Service Matching service that connects Saudi and Chinese businesses for potential partnerships and joint ventures.
• Newsletters and Reports Economic newsletters and Council reports providing market intelligence and updates on Saudi-Chinese business relations.
• SCBC Events Organized events including forums, delegations, conferences, and workshops facilitating business networking between Saudi and Chinese companies.
• Join Committees Opportunity for businesses to join specialized committees focusing on specific industry sectors.
• Commercial Visas Assistance services related to commercial visas for business travel between Saudi Arabia and China.
• Resolve Obstacles Service to document, track and help resolve business difficulties faced by members in Saudi-Chinese trade.
• Investment Guides Comprehensive investment guides for Saudi Arabia and China, including regulatory frameworks, market opportunities, and business environment information.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,100+ Saudi businesses facilitated with Chinese partnerships
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered key and core.

• ESNADkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2026Signed MOU during Future Mineral Forums to enhance bilateral cooperation in mining services. Aims to build an integrated mining services ecosystem and expand Saudi Arabia's international network of mining partners.
• Federation of Saudi ChamberscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003The SCBC was established through an agreement with the Federation of Saudi Chambers, which provides oversight and supervision of the council's operations. The partnership ensures alignment with Saudi Arabia's international trade and investment goals.
• Arab-Chinese Friendship AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Co-founder of the SCBC alongside the Federation of Saudi Chambers. Established the official bilateral trade mechanism for promoting trade, investment, and industrial cooperation between the two nations.
• China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003The SCBC maintains a strategic cooperation agreement with CCPIT, China's leading national body for promoting international trade, attracting investment, and fostering economic cooperation. This partnership facilitates bilateral trade relations and investment opportunities.
• General Authority for Foreign Trade (GAFT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe council operates under the supervision of GAFT, ensuring alignment with Saudi Arabia's regulatory framework for international trade and investment.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT): CCPIT is SCBC's direct Chinese counterpart and strategic cooperation partner. Both organizations share the same bilateral trade facilitation mandate and operate as the official conduits for Saudi-China business exchange.
• Saudi-British Business Council (SBBC): Sister bilateral business council operating under the Federation of Saudi Chambers with an identical member-based bilateral facilitation model. Same services (partner matching, delegations, events) but serving Saudi-UK trade rather than Saudi-China.
• Saudi-American Business Council: Sister bilateral council facilitating Saudi-U.S. trade and investment. Same institutional model under the Federation of Saudi Chambers but serving a different bilateral corridor, making the structural, service portfolio, and member dynamics highly comparable.
• Arab-Chinese Friendship Association: Co-founder of SCBC and the broader Arab counterpart for bilateral China engagement. Operates a similar facilitation mandate but at the multi-country Arab level rather than the single-country Saudi level.

Broad incumbents

• MISA (Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia): Saudi government investment promotion authority that overlaps with SCBC's mandate for attracting foreign (including Chinese) investment. Larger scope (country-agnostic) but competes for the same institutional investor mindshare.
• Federation of Saudi Chambers: The parent oversight body that co-founded SCBC and supervises its operations. As the umbrella organization for all Saudi chambers of commerce, it offers broader country-agnostic trade facilitation across multiple bilateral relationships.
• Saudi Export Development Authority (Saudi Exports): Government body promoting Saudi non-oil exports globally, including to China. Competes for institutional engagement and bilateral trade facilitation mandate, though focused on export promotion rather than investment matching.

Regional players

• Saudi-Japanese Business Council: Another bilateral council under the Federation of Saudi Chambers facilitating Saudi-Japan trade. Comparable institutional model but serves an Asian corridor with different cultural and business dynamics than China.
• Saudi Indian Business Council: Sister bilateral council with the same institutional structure under the Federation of Saudi Chambers. Focuses on the Saudi-India corridor — comparable mandate but different geographic, sectoral, and demographic profile.
• Saudi-Emirati Business Council: Bilateral business council model applied to the Gulf region. Highly comparable structurally but serves a regional rather than cross-continental corridor, with different scale and member composition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights2 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SAChinaBusiness
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scbcouncil

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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-Chinese Business Council