HE Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, affirmed that national efforts are continuing within a comprehensive vision and clear strategy towards the development of youth, by implementing a series of successive achievements in many fields of development.

This came during the closing ceremony of the third edition of the "Young Tech Entrepreneur" program, one of the digital youth initiatives, held under the patronage of HE Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, in the presence of Mr. Ahmed Bu Hazaa, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Tech Entrepreneur Program, and a number of participants and entrepreneurs.

On this occasion, His Excellency explained that sponsoring and supporting this pioneering program comes within the framework of the government's directives for the Kingdom of Bahrain to be a regional platform for technologies in the Middle East, and to invest in Bahraini youth in a way that enhances sustainable development, praising the innovative projects implemented by the participating youth in the program's 3 editions, with the follow-up of a number of specialists and experts in this field.

His Excellency added that the Technical Entrepreneur Program has provided economic and technical opportunities for Bahraini youth participants, to help them invest their ideas and achieve their ambitions in sustainable entrepreneurship .

The Minister also announced the launch of the Digital Youth Initiative (Shabab Tech), which provides participants in the program with continuous support to develop their projects.

Moreover, His Excellency toured the program's exhibition, and was briefed on all the projects designed by the participating youth.

For his part, Mr. Ahmed Bu Hazaa, Chairman of the Organizing Committee of the Program, expressed his appreciation to the Minister of Industry and Commerce for sponsoring the Program, noting the role of partners from government and private institutions in supporting and developing the Program as well.

The Young Technical Entrepreneur Program seeks to provide entrepreneurship knowledge and experience, by utilizing modern technologies. The current edition features projects by 20 young people between the ages of 17 and 23, university students and novice entrepreneurs, with the participation of 15 industrial, commercial, and financial institutions specialized in fintech and artificial intelligence. The program provides young participants with entrepreneurial skills and gave them the opportunity to learn from successful pioneers and businessmen, by organizing visits to incubating institutions to explore business opportunities in the digital field, in addition to workshops and lectures in project management, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, tech, and cloud computing.

HE Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, received in his office the Consul General of Ethiopia to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Mr. Shiferaw Geneti.

The Minister welcomed His Excellency the Consul General and noted the importance of mutual visits and joint economic activities in strengthening bilateral relations.

For his part, the Ethiopian Consul General affirmed his keenness to increase the scope of bilateral cooperation in the best interest of both countries and their people.

HE Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce received in his office the Special Representative of the European Union for the Gulf Region HE Luigi Di Maio, where they reviewed the bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the European Union, and ways to enhance cooperation mechanisms between them in all fields.​

HE the Minister praised the cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the European Union and their aim strengthen ties to achieve common goals and aspirations, expressing his sincere wishes to the EU Special Representative for the Gulf Region for success in his duties, and affirming the Ministry's commitment to provide all means of developing joint relations, especially in the fields of trade and economy.

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro Minister of Industry and Commerce received in his office at the ministry today, German Ambassador to Bahrain Clemens Hach, where they discussed topics of common interest.​

H.E. the Minister praised the depth and progress of relations between Bahrain and Germany, noting the keenness to support joint cooperation, especially in the commercial and economic sectors, noting the importance of such visits in strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing economic cooperation and volume of investments.

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, praised the fruitful partnership between the public and private sectors, noting the role of Bahrain Society for Training and Development in providing training opportunities for young people and developing their professional skills.

This came during a meeting between H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, and the Chairman of Bahrain Society for Training & Development Dr. Ahmed Al-Banna, in the presence of a number of the Society's Board members.​

The Minister confirmed that the government is proud of the Bahraini private sector's bids and considers it a key partner in the growth of the national economy in general and the development of human assets in particular, affirming the government's continuous efforts in cooperation with concerned authorities to provide more support for training and qualifying individuals, which ultimately contributes to achieving an important part of Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030.

HE Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, emphasized the active role of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry as a key partner in enhancing Bahrain's economic position and increasing the private sector's contribution to the national GDP.

This came during a meeting between His Excellency with the BCCI's Transport and Logistics Services Committee, headed by Mr. Jassim Almosawi, to discuss issues of common interest related to the development of the transport and logistics sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The Minister praised the efforts of the Transport and Logistics Services Committee in cooperation with the Chamber and concerned authorities in the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to upgrade and develop logistical services while keeping abreast of the latest modern methods and means of shipping and transportation, to facilitate the process of exporting and importing goods in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Almosawi expressed his appreciation to H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce for his continuous support and follow-up to all developments affecting the commercial street.​

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, received H.E. Daniela Chavez, Chargé d'Affairs of the Embassy of Brazil to the Kingdom of Bahrain, to discuss ways of enhancing cooperation between the two countries, as well as a number of issues of common interest.

H.E. the Minister indicated that the bilateral relations between Bahrain and Brazil are witnessing continuous development at various levels and fields, especially in trade and economy, noting the efforts and diplomatic endeavors made by the embassies of both countries to enhance cooperation and the joint work.​

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, affirmed the Ministry's commitment to achieving the objectives of the industrial sector strategy (2022-2026), which comes within the economic recovery plan, in an aim to increase the contribution of the industrial sector to the GDP, and to increase exports of national origin, while providing promising job opportunities for citizens. The Minister noted the approval of the Cabinet to launch the “Takamul" program, which aims to encourage national companies to enhance their contributions to the national economy.

This came during a press conference held to announce the launch (Takamul) Local Value Program in Industry, in the headquarters of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in the presence of BCCI Chairman Mr. Sameer Nass, and a number of officials from various concerned authorities.​

In his speech, Minister Fakhro indicated that (Takamul) is one of the initiatives of the industrial sector strategy (2022-2026) and was launched as part of the economic recovery plan to achieve comprehensive economic development, seeking to enhance local productions and increasing the efficiency of the value-added chain, directing the expenditures of the industrial sector to the local market, and enhancing the competitiveness of national industrial establishments, in a way that contributes to the development of promising sectors and enhances integration between national industries to achieve a developed and sustainable industry.

The Minister added that the Bahraini Government launched the Industrial Strategy (2022-2026) by the end of 2021, which included 5 main axes : strengthening national industries, investing in infrastructure, improving investors' experience, directing Bahrainis' careers, enhancing laws and legislations, as well as raising the industrial sector's contribution to the GDP, increasing exports of national origin, and providing promising job opportunities for citizens.

In conclusion, His Excellency noted that the program will contribute to encouraging national companies and enhancing their contribution to the national economy, the companies' contributions will be measured and those who meet the criteria will be granted a preference in government procurement by 10%.

For his part, H.E. Mr. Sameer Nass, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bahrain Chamber of Industry and Commerce, praised the initiative to launch the Local Value in Industry Program "Takamul", which constitutes an opportunity for the local industrial sector to enhance and develop its contribution to the development of the national economy. Noting that the value-added certificate poses an incentive for the industrial sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain to increase its contribution to GDP.

Mr. Nass added that this strategic initiative contributes to creating job opportunities for citizens, in addition to enhancing the opportunities of Bahraini Businesses. Moreover, he stressed that the commercial street does not hesitate to support initiatives that support the industrial sector in Bahrain, due to its major role in the development of the national economy.

Dr. Khaled Fahd Al-Alawi, Assistant Undersecretary for Industrial Development, gave a brief presentation on (Takamul), where he reviewed the program's detailed objectives, the approved performance indicators for its evaluation and follow-up, and how to join it.