Arab business at America's crossroads
Founded in Dearborn in 1992, the American Arab Chamber of Commerce was born here in the heart of the largest, most established Arab American community in the country. This is our home and headquarters.
Chicago has always been where the country connects. Our Chicago office links the Midwest's Arab American entrepreneurs to a national network of 1,800+ businesses and to opportunities across the Arab world.
Chicago
From the shops of the Southwest Side to the trading floors of the Loop, Arab American business is woven into Chicago's commercial life. Illinois is home to nearly 100,000 Arab Americans, and metro Chicago's Arab entrepreneurs own businesses at nearly twice the national rate. Our Chicago office turns that energy into connection — opening doors to capital, customers, and partners that a single business can't reach alone, and plugging Chicagoland's founders into a chamber that spans the country and the Arab world.
17% — of metro Chicago's MENA immigrants are business owners — nearly double the U.S. average
3,901 — Arab and MENA immigrant entrepreneurs across metro Chicago Sources: U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); American Immigration Council analysis.
99,348 — Arab Americans in Illinois
Why Chicago?
Wholesale, retail, and distribution
The import/export, food distribution, and retail networks moving goods through the nation’s logistics capital
Professional & Financial Services
A growing base of Arab American firms in law, finance, real estate, and consulting.
Hospitality, Food, and Culture of the City
The cultural centers, restaurants, grocers, and food brands that made Chicago's Arab cuisine part of the city's identity.