H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, inaugurated “Al Khair Handmade Products Exhibition", organized by the Savings and Loans Society for the Staff of Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Development. This exhibition aims to promote homemade products to encourage local industry and achieve sustainable development. The exhibition was held with the participation of a number of employees of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, and visitors of the Financial Harbor.

During the event, His Excellency the Minister stressed the importance of organizing such events to support productive families and highlight Bahraini talents, in addition to providing an opportunity for visitors to learn about the latest trends in the field of handmade productions. His Excellency added that this exhibition has a great impact on boosting the business of productive families and promoting their products.

The exhibition featured a range of various handmade products and was praised by visitors who noted the Ministry's great support for local talents by arranging such events to promote their products and encourage their business development. ​

His Excellency Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, conducted an inspection visit to Deeraland Beverages W.L.L, where he was received by the Director of Business Development in the company Mr. Abdulla Ahmadi, in the presence of the company's board members and a number of senior officials in the Ministry.

H.E. the Minister affirmed that the Kingdom of Bahrain welcomes all investments that boost economic growth rates in light of the facilities it provides to enhance the Kingdom's investment position, in line with the industrial sector strategy (2022-2026) which falls under the economic recovery plan, in an aim to increase the contribution of the industrial sector to the GDP, and increase exports of national origin, while providing promising job opportunities for citizens.

His Excellency toured the headquarters, which occupies around 5,200 square meters, and produces around 200,000 cartons/month. The factory exports to the gulf region and to global destinations including Australia, the UK and Singapore, and specializes in manufacturing different flavor juices.

As part of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce's continuous efforts to develop the eCommerce sector and protect consumer rights, the Ministry prepared and published a survey to evaluate consumer satisfaction in the eCommerce sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain in response to the growing volume of eCommerce transactions.

 These efforts come from the Information Systems Directorate and the Consumer Protection Directorate, as the Ministry pays close attention to the eCommerce sector, by enhancing consumer trust and awareness of their rights, and helping them make sound decisions when shopping online. Moreover, The Ministry is closely monitoring eCommerce platforms and commercial activities related to eCommerce to ensure that adequate protection is provided to consumers and to mitigate the risks of fraud in this sector.

The Ministry also notes that the participation in the survey will be available for two weeks of publication through the Ministry's website: https://www.moic.gov.bh/en , as well as on its social media accounts.

The Ministry of Industry and commerce seeks to enhance communication with consumers in the eCommerce field, by receiving complaints and observations, and developing policies and laws based on their observations and needs.​

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in cooperation with Cisco, announced the launch of the visual communication service for investors through the Ministry's dedicated customer service center, for those wishing to learn more about the investment opportunities available to both local and international investors, through the latest advanced technologies for remote communication.

The service aims to enhance communication between investors and the customer service center, improve services and save time. It will also contribute to the speedy exchange of information and data.

The service will provide communication with customer service staff directly through visual communication without the need to go to service centers. This service was launched in line with the government program to facilitate government procedures and services and meet the requirements and needs of investors. Investors can book an appointment for video calling through Sijilat or the ministry's official website.

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, stated: "In embodiment of the government's pioneering directions in adopting new digital technologies to serve citizens, residents and companies, the service targets all investors from inside and outside the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Ministry aims to provide a smooth and effective communication platform available to all, regardless of their location or language preferences."

For his part, Abdulelah Al-Najari, General Director of Cisco in the Gulf Region, elaborated: “We are proud to cooperate with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to digitize support services provided by the Ministry, improve their efficiency, and make them accessible to all. We have introduced the latest collaboration and remote communication platforms to support the Kingdom's vision to stimulate and facilitate investments in line with the Bahraini government's strategy to support the digital transformation of the Kingdom"

 
This project is part of Cisco's Country Digital Acceleration program (CDA), which is a strategic partnership with governments around the world to accelerate their national digital agenda and bring new value to their economy, businesses, and citizens. The program is based on strengthening private partnerships and government agencies in various sectors, including national infrastructure, education, companies, and smart societies, through digital solutions and digitization initiatives being introduced to expand the scope of the program, which is currently being implemented in 49 countries worldwide.

For further information regarding the visual communication service, contact the government services call center:  80008001, or inquire through “Tawasul" application or via e-mail to the Investor Relations Directorate IR@www.moic.gov.bh.

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, affirmed the Ministry's commitment to developing initiatives that boost the economic and commercial sector in light of the comprehensive development plan under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and the keen follow up of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

This came as H.E. The Minister announced the launch of Sijilat 3.0, in cooperation with the Information and e-Government Authority, Bahrain Post and Cisco, during a press conference held at the BCCI building, with the participation of BCCI Chairman H.E. Mr. Samir Abdullah Nass, Information and e-Government Authority CEO Mohammed Ali Al-Qaed, iGA Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Dr Zakaria Ahmed Al Khaja, and Mr. Nibras Mohammed Ali Talib, Assistant Undersecretary for Commercial Registration and Companies at MOIC, in addition to a number of invitees from the public and private sectors.

During the conference, H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, confirmed that the launch of Sijilat 3.0 aims to develop and improve the quality of services provided by the Ministry of Industry and Commerce by implementing the latest technologies that enable investors to manage their business easily and from anywhere in the world. Improvements in the new system include a collection of new e-services, which facilitate and reduce steps to access services by 60%.

The Minister indicated that the improved system uses modern programming techniques that suit the format of various devices, in addition to other new services, most notably the "automated guide" service, which is an interactive tool and a proactive step that enables investors to access everything they need to establish their business and determine the appropriate structure of the commercial registration or its activity before starting it, and providing the service of printing certificates for the CR, which allows businessmen and investors to obtain certificates and CR data through the Sijilat e-system, in addition to providing and improving 10 services for CR holders.

H.E. Fakhro elaborated that the process of developing Sijilat also included adding a “Dashboard" to display all commercial records, enabling investors to complete many transactions such as submitting a request for a new registry, deleting record, renewing and searching for active records, as well as searching for commercial activities, renewing commercial records without a license, changing the address, as well as adding a help page and a feature to inquire about transactions. A collection of utilities was developed, providing a cost and time period calculation tool, a tool for comparing activities and providing samples of documents required to facilitate the application process and guidance videos for all services provided through the system, as well as a guide to business requirements and virtual customer service.

His Excellency added that the system's technical infrastructure was developed by transferring it to cloud computing to increase speed and efficiency and ensure quality of services.

For his part, BCCI Chairman Sameer Abdullah Nass affirmed that the launch of the improved Sijilat System came to develop and improve the quality of services, and that such initiatives achieve sustainability for the entrepreneurship and investment sector, and maintain its growth and prosperity.

H.E. added that increasing the volume of commercial and investment activities in Bahrain through facilitating the establishment procedures for investors and developing them continuously supports the Chamber's objectives and commitment to provide the business environment with all means to create a well-rounded investment environment.

Mr. Nass noted Bahrain's keenness to constantly keep up with the latest developments in the field of entrepreneurship, and to keep pace with the requirements of the labor market in light of global economic developments. Pointing out that Bahrain is one of the countries that took serious steps towards future sciences and investing opportunities for innovation and creativity to achieve the objectives of Bahrain's economic vision 2030.

For his part, Mr. Mohammed Ali Al-Qaed, CEO of the Information and e-Government Authority stressed that continuing to develop Sijilat affirms the government's belief in its significant role as one of the factors that provide a supportive environment for various activities and businesses of the private sector, and contributes to attracting Bahraini, Gulf and international investors.

Al-Qaed expressed his appreciation to all the teams that worked to improve the new Sijilat system to include the new integrated and supportive electronic features and services that support the commercial sector and attract investors, stressing at the same time that the Authority, under the support of Interior Minister, General Shaikh Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa and Chairman of the Ministerial Committee for Information and Communications Technology, is continuing to develop Sijilat in partnership with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and other concerned entities, and will continue the process of digital transformation of government services and systems.

Notably, the commercial records system "Sijilat" is an integrated electronic portal that aims to provide a commercial investment environment that attracts Bahraini, Gulf and international investors and facilitates the establishment of commercial projects and the completion of any requirements related to commercial activities.

The first version of Sijilat was launched in 2015 under the name "Commercial Records" making Bahrain the first country in the region to provide such a service. The first version of the system provided an e-link with commercial record licensees and the "Definition File" service as a written guide for the use of various Sijilat services, as well as adding the services of commercial companies, most importantly issuing a CR.

In 2016, (Sijilat 2) was launched, featuring the service of issuing a CR without a license within 93 seconds only, in addition to including the adoption of the National Classification of Economic Activities (ISIC4).

For more information or inquiries regarding Sijilat 3.0, contact the government services call center on: 80008001, or submit inquiries, observations and suggestions through (Tawasul), or through the e-mail of the Investor Relations Directorate IR@moic .gov.bh.​ 

Dr. Khaled Fahad Al-Alawi, Assistant Undersecretary for Industrial Development, participated in the INNOPROM International Industrial Exhibition, held in Yekaterinburg city in Russia between10-13 July 2023.​

In a dialogue session on "Opportunities for International Cooperation for the Expansion of Russian Industrial Projects in the Middle East", Al-Alawi reviewed the industrial sector strategy (2022-2026), launched within the economic recovery plan as part of the government's plan to develop promising sectors in an aim to increase the contribution of the industrial sector to the GDP, increase exports of national origin, and create promising job opportunities for citizens.

Moreover, Al Alawi pointed to the advantages of investing in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the government's efforts in developing the industrial sector to support the transformation towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution, apply the concepts of a circular carbon economy and achieve industrial integration to enhance the efficiency of supply chains, especially for food and pharmaceutical industries, in addition to highlighting targeted strategic industries.

The Panel Discussion gathered a number of representatives of governments and heads of bodies from the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, as well as representatives of major Russian factories.

INNOPROM is the first industrial exhibition in Russia and the region, and it represents a platform to attract foreign investments to Russia, showcasing the latest developments of Russian companies in the fields of metallurgy, electronics, cars, ships, agricultural equipment, robotics and information technology. 

The Kingdom of Bahrain has granted the United Kingdom an accreditation certificate to become an official partner for sea-air cargo services. This decision comes during His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister's official visit to the UK.

The Minister of Industry and Commerce, HE Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, stated how this partnership reflects the longstanding relationship between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Kingdom, highlighting the commitment of both countries to cultivating partnerships that benefit each nation and its people. HE Fahkro emphasised the importance of continuing to cultivate bilateral ties between both countries, particularly across the sea and air transport sectors.

This new initiative is designed to deepen economic and trade relations that will attract investments and result in prosperity for both nations.

HE Fakhro added that granting the UK this certificate enables companies in the country an opportunity to obtain an official accreditation certificate as an authorized operator of the sea-air cargo service. The Government of Bahrain intends to grant partner status to more countries, allowing companies based in these countries to apply for accreditation as an operator. This approach falls under the Kingdom's wider strategy to expand its international partnerships.

The Kingdom of Bahrain launched the Global Center for Maritime and Air Cargo Services to enhance the effectiveness of Khalifa bin Salman Port and Bahrain International Airport. Unlike the Khalifa bin Salman Port and Bahrain International Airport which solely provide sea or air services respectively, the center combines sea and air cargo amenities to provide faster and more affordable services.​

Under the patronage of H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, Ms. Eman Ahmed Al Doseri, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, launched the eleventh Information and Communication Technology Conference (MEET ICT) and the Bahrain International Technology Exhibition (BITEX) at Gulf Hotel Bahrain, which takes place between 4 to 6 July 2023 under the theme "Achieving Sustainable Development through Digital Transformation for Industries, Companies and Governments" organized by the Bahrain Technology Companies Society (BTEC) and Worksmart for Event Management in the presence of a number of senior officials and stakeholders.

H.E. the Undersecretary affirmed the Ministry's commitment to supporting the technology sector, stressing the pivotal role played by the ICT sector in creating job opportunities, supporting GDP, and accelerating the economic development process.

Her Excellency added that the Government of Bahrain encourages local companies and projects that offer advanced technological ideas and solutions, in addition to that, the advanced digital infrastructure in Bahrain, and the adoption of cloud technologies and qualified and trained human cadres are key factors in attracting partnerships with global leaders in the field of technology, strengthening Bahrain's ecosystem and making it an attractive destination for innovative projects. 

For his part, (BTECH) Chairman Mr. Tariq Fakhro, expressed the Society's appreciation to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce for this sponsorship, stressing the Society's keenness to enhance cooperation and continuous coordination between the Ministry and the companies and institutions of the sector.

The conference will address the development of technological strategies to advance the Kingdom's future position, including encouraging consumers to use sustainable products and services, redirecting capital to sustainable solutions, and inspiring governments to adopt sustainable approaches. In addition, the conference encourages professionals and companies to discuss how digital transformation can improve their business and increase productivity.