Special Tour and Traveling Seminar
East of Jerusalem & Ramallah

Private Tours only
Cost: $275 per person – minimum 4 people
departing from your hotel
(Groups of 10 or more contact the Director for special pricing)
Includes: transportation, guiding, briefings, meetings, lunch and dinner
alcoholic beverages not included
Hosts
Sam Bahour (Ramallah) – profile
Fred Schlomka (Tel Aviv) – profile

This tour is hosted by two colleagues, one Palestinian and one Israeli. It is designed for businesspeople, journalists, diplomats and researchers seeking to further their understanding of the Palestinian economy and the challenges involved in doing business ‘across the Green Line’. Foreign executives in Israel on business will find this event to be a good opportunity for networking and setting the stage for building relationships. Contacts and introductions can be made for specific industries on request.

Doing business with Palestinians requires an understanding of the West Bank economy, the social and business dynamics of Palestinian society, and the political relationship between the Palestinian Authority and Israel. This tour is designed to give you an overview of the situation on the ground, and an opportunity to meet with some of Palestine’s business leaders in Ramallah for in-depth discussions.

The tour is hosted from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem by Fred Schlomka, Director of Green Olive Tours and in Ramallah by businessman Sam Bahour.

You will travel through the area east of Jerusalem to explore the complexities of the situation on the ground. There will be coffee break during which Mr. Schlomka will give a presentation, illustrated with maps, that will give you an comprehensive picture of the history and current status of the geo-political situation.

You’ll see sections of the Separation Barrier that restrict entry for Palestinians to Jerusalem; the segregated roads that limit transportation and contiguity between Palestinian areas; and the rapidly growing settlements that are eating up the available land. We will discuss the implications of these developments and their impact on possibilities for a Palestinian state.

Then you will travel to Ramallah for lunch with Sam Bahour, a Palestinian businessman who participated in establishing PalTel, the first private Palestinian telecommunications company, is the developer of Ramallah’s first modern shopping mall, a Board Member of the Arab-Islamic Bank and a Trustee at Birzeit University. Mr. Bahour will give a presentation on the current status of the Palestinian economy and the complexities of doing business in the West Bank. There will be ample opportunity for questions and discussion during lunch.

Business tour in Ramallah

Mr. Bahour will then lead a tour of Ramallah, illustrating on the ground many of the points raised during the presentation and discussion. Ramallah today is the only city in Palestine experiencing economic growth. You will see real estate development sites, industrial areas, and the thriving commercial center. There will also be a brief visit to Yasser Arafat’s tomb. Participants with particular interests should make them known prior to the tour and every effort will be made to accommodate them.

After the tour of Ramallah we will retire to a comfortable restaurant for refreshments and further discussion. One or two of Mr. Bahour’s business colleagues will join us for more insights into the Palestinian economy. A dinner will be served of traditional Palestinian foods.

For more information or to schedule a private tour contact Fred Schlomka