Between 9 and 14 November, the West and North Yorkshire Chamber will send a delegation to Jeddah, Riyadh and Bahrain to explore opportunities for Yorkshire’s businesses.
This follows on from the Chambers’ visits to the United Arab Emirates in February of this year and America in 2024.
James Mason, the Chief Executive of the West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce said: “At a time when the cost of doing business is so high, it is more important than ever to explore new avenues for doing business.
“We asked our members where they would like to see a trade mission arranged for and Saudi Arabia and Bahrain were a clear standout.”
The trip has been backed by Leeds Bradford Airport, who will be the ‘headline’ sponsor for the delegation’s visit to the two countries.
Vincent Hodder, the CEO of Leeds Bradford Airport said: “We welcomed the opportunity to be involved in this unique mission with the Chamber of Commerce to showcase everything that makes Yorkshire stand out to potential new markets.”
The trade mission has been put to Yorkshire’s businesses as an “opportunity to access two of the Gulf’s most dynamic and ambitious economies, each offering strategic gateways into the wider Middle East.”
The group’s 2024 trip to New York saw businesses like Sound Leisure, A Yorkshire-based producer of jukeboxes seal £100,000 worth of sales, as well as the York Gin Distillery securing a US distributor.
In 2016, Saudi Arabia announced the Vision 2030 scheme with the aim of opening the country up to international business outside of oil, for which it contributes to 11% of the world’s supply, shifting to a focus on tourism, technology and foreign investment.
The November trade mission is the Chambers’ largest to date, it will see Yorkshire based firms across multiple sectors including technology, education, professional services and manufacturing make up the delegation.
The @WNYChamber & @ChamberInt is delighted to announce a UK trade delegation to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, taking place between 9-14 November 2025. 🌎🤝
— West & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce (@WNYChamber) July 21, 2025
📅 Join us online to learn more: Thu 24 July 2025, 11:00-12:00 GMT
ℹ️ Reserve your place: https://t.co/LUCoKLnEPG pic.twitter.com/soRjyB0APc
The six day visit will involve a ‘carefully curated programme of events’, consisting of embassy briefings and receptions, an economic update from HSBC, and ‘exclusive cultural engagements’.
Mr Mason said: “We look forward to welcoming all of our delegates and are grateful to Leeds Bradford Airport for signing up as lead sponsor as it seeks to increase the number of routes it serves globally.”