The Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) has taken a decisive step forward in positioning the Kenyan private sector at the heart of international trade. Participating in the high-level Saudi-Kenya Business Round Table held on Monday, 6th July 2026, at the Federation of Saudi Chambers Headquarters in Riyadh, KNCCI championed fresh mechanisms to aggressively scale up bilateral trade and secure vital Saudi capital for Kenya.

The forum, themed “Bridging Markets, Building Futures: Kenya-Saudi Arabia Business Partnership for Shared Prosperity,” served as a prime platform for robust commercial diplomacy.

Representing the voice of over 50,000 businesses across Kenya’s 47 counties, Mr. Mustafa Ramadhan, the Vice President of KNCCI and Co-Chair of the Kenya–Saudi Joint Business Council (Kenyan Side), delivered an impactful, numbers-driven speech addressing the realities and untapped potential of the bilateral relationship.

Mr. Ramadhan directly confronted the current trade imbalance, noting that bilateral trade currently stands at approximately USD 1.2 billion annually. However, Kenya’s exports to the Kingdom accounted for only about USD 200 million against USD 1 billion in imports.

“In plain language: for every one dollar Kenya sells to Saudi Arabia, we buy five,” Mr. Ramadhan noted candidly. “Our ambition is not to buy less from you — it is to sell you far more, and to bring far more Saudi capital into Kenya.”

Highlighting Kenya’s strategic geographic advantage—with fresh produce, tea, coffee, cut flowers, and livestock positioned just four to five flying hours from Riyadh and Jeddah—the Vice President asserted that KNCCI is actively transforming intent into action. He detailed key interventions being spearheaded by the Chamber to remove trade frictions and unlock market access:

  • An Active Joint Business Council: Transitioning the Council into a continuous operational engine featuring an annual alternating calendar between Riyadh and Nairobi, specialized sector working groups, and a strict 90-day follow-up rule for B2B meetings.

  • Chamber-to-Chamber Frameworks: Partnering with the Federation of Saudi Chambers to share vetted business databases and market intelligence.

  • Systemic Trade Facilitation: Direct advocacy for the mutual recognition of standards and halal certification, trade finance reach via Saudi Ex-Im Bank instruments, and the development of direct air cargo and Mombasa–Jeddah sea links supported by cold-chain investments.

Mr. Ramadhan concluded with a firm commitment to Saudi buyers and investors, emphasizing that KNCCI will match them with credible Kenyan counterparts and protect transactional momentum. “We did not travel to Riyadh to exchange business cards. We came to exchange contracts,” he stated.

The event was saw by significant political and organizational backing, aimed at accelerating public-private synergy. H.E. Dr. Musalia Mudavadi, EGH, Prime Cabinet Secretary and CS for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs, delivered a keynote address offering a strong political endorsement of the trade partnership. Mudavadi highlighted Kenya’s strategic priorities within the Saudi market and emphasized that structured platforms like the Saudi-Kenyan Joint Business Council Meeting & Business-to-Business (B2B) Sessions are crucial for establishing direct corporate links, eliminating intermediaries, and securing high-value export contracts.

The economic forum also brought together influential institutional leaders from both nations to anchor these trade efforts:

  • H.E. Mr. Abdullah Saleh Kamel, Chairman of the Federation of Saudi Chambers, and Mr. Mubarak Lahem Alammar, Chairman of the Saudi-Kenyan Business Council (Saudi Side), hosted the delegation and expressed immense Saudi private-sector enthusiasm for expanding ties.

  • Ms. Floice Mukabana, CEO of the Kenya Export Promotion and Branding Agency (KEPROBA), presented a comprehensive overview of the bilateral trade landscape, mapping high-potential sectors like horticulture, leather, meat, and dairy.

  • Norah Ratemo, Director General of the Kenya Development Corporation (KDC), showcased Kenya’s priority pipeline of investment-ready projects spanning special economic zones, green energy, tourism, and post-harvest management.

Through the leadership of KNCCI and the active engagement of Co-Chair Mustafa Ramadhan, Kenyan businesses are now equipped with the institutional framework required to turn diplomatic goodwill into tangible, profitable cross-border contracts.