His Excellency Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, chaired the 24th meeting of the Small and Medium Enterprises (SME) Development Council at the Ministry’s headquarters, with the participation of member representatives.

The Minister emphasized the vital role of SMEs in the national economy and highlighted the importance of adopting innovative policies to boost the sector’s resilience and competitiveness.

The meeting reviewed the SME development strategy, its key objectives, implementation stages, and main challenges. It also discussed creating an effective regulatory framework and enhancing collaboration among stakeholders to promote sustainable growth and innovation, increasing the sector’s contribution to the GDP.

Bahrain’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, met with Russia’s Minister of Economic Development, H.E. Mr. Maxim Reshetnikov, during his official visit to Bahrain.

The two sides discussed strengthening bilateral relations and enhancing economic cooperation. Minister Fakhro highlighted Bahrain’s position as an attractive global investment hub, supported by a business-friendly environment and government incentives.

They also reviewed Bahrain’s upcoming participation as Guest of Honor at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum this June.

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce has called on Bahraini manufacturers to register on the Arab Platform for Industrial and Mining Products Requests and Offers (APIP.online), which was launched as an initiative by the Arab Organization for Industrial Development, Standardization and Mining. The platform aims to connect Arab manufacturers with available opportunities in Arab markets, contributing to strengthening economic integration and increasing the volume of trade exchange, as part of enhancing industrial and mining cooperation among Arab countries.

In this regard, Dr. Khaled Fahad Al Alawi, Assistant Undersecretary for Industrial Development at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, affirmed that this platform represents an exceptional opportunity for Bahraini manufacturers to showcase their products at the Arab level and to become familiar with the needs of regional markets in the industrial and mining sectors. This enables them to take advantage of available opportunities and strengthen their presence in Arab markets.

Al Alawi pointed out that this step aligns with the Industrial Sector Strategy (2022–2026), which focuses on supporting nationally originated exports and opening doors for Bahraini manufacturers to expand regionally and compete in procurement agreements.

He added that through this platform, the Ministry seeks to continue promoting regional cooperation and achieving integration among Arab industrial sectors, praising Bahrain’s manufacturing capabilities, which possess the potential and expertise to compete both regionally and internationally.

It is worth noting that the Arab Platform for Industrial and Mining Products Requests and Offers currently includes data on more than 60,000 industrial and mining establishments and over 900 investment opportunities from 21 Arab countries, providing a comprehensive database of industrial and mining products and needs across the region.

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, met with the Saudi delegation of the Bahrain-Saudi Joint Business Council, in the presence of Mr. Mohammed Abduljabbar Al-Kooheji, Second Vice Chairman of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry, alongside representatives from the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The meeting highlighted the strong strategic ties between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, and discussed ways to boost trade, investment, and economic cooperation. Key joint initiatives were reviewed, with a focus on economic diversification and creating new investment opportunities.

As part of its ongoing efforts to develop the business environment and enhance compliance with regulatory decisions, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce has announced the launch of a new service in collaboration with several local banks. This service enables business owners to easily open a commercial bank account, contributing to the stability of commercial activities.

In this context, His Excellency Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, affirmed that this step reflects the Ministry’s continuous commitment to establishing a flexible, transparent, and investment-friendly business environment. It also highlights the Ministry’s dedication to providing efficient services that facilitate doing business and support business owners in complying with relevant regulations. He further noted that the Ministry will continue to develop more initiatives to support the national economy.

The Minister added that this new service is part of an integrated set of initiatives aimed at simplifying procedures, achieving the highest levels of legislative compliance, and enhancing the efficiency of government services provided to the commercial sector, thereby boosting Bahrain’s competitiveness regionally and internationally.

This initiative comes in line with the implementation of Resolution No. (43) of 2024 regarding payment regulations for commercial transactions of business establishments, which mandates all commercial establishments to open a unified commercial bank account for their financial transactions and provide approved electronic payment methods that support transparency and digitization in commercial activities.

To simplify the process, a direct service point has been established on the second floor of the Bahrain Financial Harbour, near the Bahrain Investors Center. Additionally, the service can be accessed online via the commercial registration system “Sijilat” at www.sijilat.bh.

The Ministry urges all commercial establishments to open a commercial bank account before the deadline on June 13, 2025, to ensure full compliance with the resolution and benefit from the provided facilities.

For more information, please contact: ir@moic.gov.bh or call 80008001.

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in the presence of HE Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, received the Golden Shield at the Ministry’s Metal Testing Center from Dr. Shaikha Rana Bint Isa Bin Duaij Al Khalifa, Director General of the Institute of Public Administration and Vice Chair of the Government Service Centers Evaluation Committee. This recognition was awarded for the Center’s achievement of the Gold Category among government service centers under the “Taqyeem ...

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro expressed his appreciation for the continuous support provided by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, He emphasized that this support serves as a strong motivation for government entities to continuously improve their performance and deliver high-quality services that meet the expectations of the public.

The Minister highlighted that the Ministry of Industry and Commerce is diligently focusing its efforts on enhancing performance and updating its systems to increase the efficiency of the services provided. He also praised the efforts of all those working at the Metal Testing Center, commending their role in driving continuous improvement and development, making the center a distinguished model in customer service excellence.

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, participated in the celebration organized by Al Hawaj Group on occasion of  the 115th anniversary of  the founding of Samsonite International, in the presence of Al Hawaj Group Chairman Jawad Al Hawaj and a number of officials , at the company's branch in City Centre.

The Minister praised the pivotal role of the private sector in supporting the national economy, noting Al-Hawaj Group’s achievements in localizing many brands in the Kingdom of Bahrain, adding that the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in cooperation with related authorities, is working to provide more facilities to ensure the smooth attraction of investments, which contributes to boosting national economy.

Notably, Samsonite International is one of the most prominent American brands specialized in manufacturing bags.

HE Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, participated as a keynote speaker in the fourth edition of  the "Make in the Emirates 2025" forum  , organized by the Ministry of Industry and Advanced Technology of the United Arab Emirates, from 19 to 22 May, at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). 

During his participation in the dialogue session held under the title "Integrated Industrial Partnership for Sustainable Economic Development",  His Excellency the Minister elaborated on a set of paths Bahrain took to support smart manufacturing and enhance local content, focusing on industrial integration as a pillar to achieve sustainable development and enhance industrial security in the region, and stressing the need for concerted efforts and development of practical cooperation tools among the partnership countries.

In this regard, HE the Minister highlighted the strategic partnership to cooperate in national content and in-country value (ICV) programs, recently launched by the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in a step to enhance the path of regional economic cooperation.

His Excellency added that this cooperation contributes to enhancing common standards for local content, encouraging technology localization, and creating real incentives for companies to invest in competencies and innovation in both countries. He also added that this consensus enables Bahraini industries to integrate directly into the Gulf supply chains, especially in vital sectors such as metals, petrochemicals, and advanced manufacturing, noting the advantages of this cooperation for manufacturers in the United Arab Emirates to benefit from the mechanisms of preference for local content and government procurement in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Fakhro stressed the prominent role played by the Kingdom of Bahrain within the "Integrated Industrial Partnership for Sustainable Economic Development", which includes the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Qatar and Turkey. He explained that this regional partnership aims to achieve effective integration of industrial capabilities, facilitate access to raw materials, open markets to exporters, in addition to creating opportunities for innovative research and development partnerships. He revealed that under this partnership, the Kingdom of Bahrain has concluded two agreements to supply iron ore to the UAE and Qatar, worth more than 4 billion US dollars, which reflects the extent to which the partnership countries can benefit from this qualitative partnership.

Moreover, His Excellency Fakhro, met H.E. Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, UAE Minister of Industry, where they discussed a number of issues of common interest.

The ministry’s delegation included Shaikh Hamad bin Salman Al Khalifa, Assistant Undersecretary for Domestic and Foreign Trade, and Dr. Khaled Fahad Al Alawi, Assistant Undersecretary for Industrial Development at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.