Rachel and Kerwin Blackburn of US2U Consulting visited the University of Oxford on Saturday 20 May to attend the Oxford-GCC Business Conference 2017, which covered a range of topics concerning the development of the Gulf region. The conference was held at St. Anthony's College and was hosted by OxGAPS, the Arab-British Chamber of Commerce and Said Business School.

Welcoming delegates from across the world, the conference focused on three key areas of the Gulf economy; the private sector, the creative economy and the evolving role of women in the region.

The conference also featured an exclusive list of interesting keynote speakers from prominent public and private sector organisations both in the UK and the Gulf, with an objective of the conference to promote and foster a greater UK-Gulf trading relationship.

Among the speakers on the subject of the arts and the creative economy in the Gulf was Princess Alia Al-Senussi, Chair of Tate Young Patrons and a descendant of Libyan royalty, pictured with Rachel Blackburn.

There was also an unique presentation on the specific characteristics and challenges of growing family-oriented businesses; a topic that is particularly prominent in Saudi Arabia - 75% of businesses have a family dynamic - and of course relevant to US2U Consulting too!