H.E. Mr.  Ab​dullah bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce met with the Indian Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Mr. Shri Narayan Tatu Rane, in the presence of H.E. Mr. Abdulrahman Mohammed Al Qaoud, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Republic of India, and Assistant Undersecretary for Domestic and Foreign Trade H.E. Sh. Hamad bin Salman Al Khalifa, and a number of officials from both sides, within the framework of the official visit of Bahrain's economic delegation to India.

The meeting discussed a number of topics related to the SMEs and entrepreneurship sector, as Fakhro stressed the continuous development of the historical relations between Bahrain and India, noting the importance of this sector and the support it receives from both governments, and pointing to the importance of enhancing cooperation and benefiting from Indian expertise in developing this vital sector.

H.E. Minister of Industry and Commerce Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro met with President of UFLEX Group Rajesh Bhatia, in the presence of a number of officials from both sides, as part of the Minister's official visit to the Republic of India.

The Minister affirmed the historical economic relations between Bahrain and India, noting the great role of active diplomacy in consolidating their cooperation and pushing them towards developing existing relations. Pointing to the facilities provided by the Kingdom of Bahrain, which contribute to attracting investments and projects to settle in the Kingdom.

The Minister then listened to a detailed explanation of the development steps taken by UFLEX, which is one of the major leading companies in the field of polymer science and the manufacture of flexible packaging materials, products and solutions that provide services to 150 countries.​ 

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro Minister of Industry and Commerce stressed the depth of the strong economic relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and India, pointing the need to benefit from India's great expertise, especially in the industrial sector.

This came during the meeting of H.E. the Minister with Mr. Sanjiv Bajaj, Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in the presence of Sh. Hamad bin Salman Al Khalifa, Assistant Undersecretary for Domestic and Foreign Trade, and a number of officials from both sides, within the framework of the official visit of HE the Minister to the Republic of India.​

The meeting discussed and reviewed the distinguished bilateral relations between the two countries, and the Minister listened to a detailed explanation of the role and tasks of the (CII), which contributed to the development of the industrial sector and the creation of new partnerships within the framework of this sector's new sustainable economy.

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce affirmed the unity of goals and economic visions between Bahrain and the UAE, noting the depth and distinction of their ambitious bilateral relations.

This came during the meeting between HE the Minister of Industry and Commerce, this morning, with the Minister of Economy of the United Arab Emirates, Abdullah bin Touq Al Marri, in the presence of H.E. Mr. Abdulrahman Mohammed Al Qaoud, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the Republic of India, within the framework of the official visit of HE the Minister to India.

The meeting reviewed the well-established relations between Bahrain and the UAE, and the efforts of both governments to strengthen and develop all areas of cooperation, especially in the economic aspect in a way that serves their common interests.​ 

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, stressed the importance of strengthening partnerships between various countries of the world and keeping pace with developments in order advance the development sectors in a way that supports financial sustainability and economic stability, and contributes to the comprehensive development and economic cooperation between world countries.

This came as H.E. the Minister headed the delegation of the Kingdom of Bahrain participating in the work of the 28^th "Partnership Summit 2023" organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), under the slogan "Partnerships for responsible, expedited, innovative, sustainable and equitable businesses" from 13 to 15 March 2023 at the Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi, with the participation of a number of companies, businessmen and international and government bodies from around the world.

During the opening session of the summit, the Minister affirmed Bahrain's keenness to participate in such events that discuss and share the most important global developments to support the shift towards a new and sustainable economy, praising India's distinguished historical economic civilization, and hoping that the summit will achieve its ambitious goals that seek to strengthen companies and form new global economic alliances. 

The summit includes many discussion sessions, including: The Future of Work: Building a Resilient and Sustainable Workforce, Standardizing Skills: A Key Enabler for Talent Mobility, Sustainable Finance, The G20 and the State of the World, Supply Chain Resilience Against Geopolitical Turbulence, Financing Growth in Emerging Markets.

On the sidelines of the launch of the first Business Leaders Conference " Connect 2 Innovate", H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, met with Startup Nation Central CEO, Mr. Avi Hassoun, in the presence of a number of representatives of the Israeli private sector.​

The meeting discussed ways to enhance and develop joint economic relations, as H.E. the Minister valued efforts and endeavors to develop economic relations and share experiences to enhance cooperation and joint work between Bahrain and Israel, stressing the importance of joint meetings and mutual visits between officials in both countries, to enhance bilateral economic and trade relations.

The first Business Leaders Conference "Connect 2 Innovate" kicked off this evening, Monday, March 13, 2023, until March 15 in Manama, organized by Start-Up Nation Central, a non-profit organization that connects governments, companies and investors to the Israeli innovation ecosystem, in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the EDB, and the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain in Israel, at the Wyndham Grand Hotel – Bahrain Bay.

The conference included a recorded speech by Israeli President Isaac Herzog, where he welcomed the guests of the first conference of business leaders " Connect 2 Innovate" and referred to his official visit last December and his meeting with HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister. The president praised the culture of peaceful coexistence and religious tolerance in Bahrain and praised the initiative to host the first conference that gathers both nations, providing an opportunity for entrepreneurs and companies to communicate and share expertise, to build a foundation for a prosperous future of cooperation and economic relations between the two countries, to achieve common goals and interests, expressing his thanks to H.E. the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, the EDB and STARTUP NATION CENTRAL for this wonderful initiative, wishing them all success and prosperity.

For his part, H.E. the Minister of Industry and Commerce Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro delivered a speech in which he stressed that Bahrain today represents a prominent investment center, while Israel is a famous center for research and development of modern technology. By combining both our strengths, we have the ability to transform the region and work together to meet today's challenges and build a bright future for all.

H.E added that this event affirms the growing partnership between Bahrain and Israel, noting that it will address challenges facing financial technology, manufacture, logistics, water, energy, and climate sectors and identify new growth opportunities. In addition to sharing experiences and best practices to find innovative solutions for technological ecosystem development and human capital investment.

Moreover, H.E. continued that the Kingdom of Bahrain is an attractive destination for startups in the field of innovation and technology through its youth, ambitious workforce with high scientific qualifications and thriving ecosystem. Bahrain's advanced digital infrastructure, and the adoption of cloud computing, contributed to attracting global partnerships and leaders, and the Kingdom's commitment to innovation, digital economy, forward-thinking, and attractive regulations made the Kingdom an innovation hub.

"The relationship between Israel and Start-Up Nation Central and the Kingdom of Bahrain is true and honest, created by the desire to deepen the fruitful cooperation between both countries. I am proud to say that approximately three years after signing of the Abraham Accords, the collaborations, in all fields, are expanding and we always strive to grow them even more. I am confident that the technological tools and products developed by the Israeli startup companies will bring great benefit to the Bahraini economy and vice versa", said H.E. Khalid Yusuf Ahmed Al Jalahma, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to Israel.

For his part, Avi Hasson, CEO of Start-Up Nation Central said “As our region moves from being a resource-based economy to a knowledge-based one, Israel and Bahrain are prime to work together toward achieving this vision. Together, we will blaze a new path forward and this conference is just the beginning as long-lasting relationships form solutions to common challenges are identified," Hasson added, “We thank our colleagues in Bahrain for their partnership and pride ourselves to be part of Team Bahrain from now on".

“Connect 2 Innovate" is the first conference of its kind, and it gathers government officials, large corporations, international organizations, business communities and technology innovators to focus on challenges in fintech, logistics, supply change, water, energy and climate.

The conference will include workshops on building the technological ecosystem and developing human capital, enabling the two countries to exchange knowledge and best practices, through the participation of a delegation of more than 50 government officials, businessmen and investors in Israel. The 2^nd and 3^rd days of the conference will include professional workshops, lectures, panel discussions, presentation sessions and discussions on the future of banking and financial technology, water security and smart energy, startup ecosystem development, human capital challenges, and the establishment of a sustainable sea-air corridor.

Keynote speakers at the conference included H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, EDB CEO Mr. Khalid Ibrahim Humaidan, the Ambassador of the State of Israel to the Kingdom of Bahrain Eitan Na'eh, and Start-Up Nation Central CEO Mr. Avi Hasson.​

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro Minister of Industry and Commerce participated in the celebration of the BKS-GOLDEN CLUB Award, organized by Keraleeya Samajam Club as part Bahrain and India's celebration of the (Golden Jubilee) of the diplomatic relations' establishment, in conjunction with India's 75^th Independence Day and Keraleeya Samajam's 75th anniversary.

the Minister praised the initiatives presented by business leaders to develop the national economy, affirming the government's commitment to providing more facilities that contribute to the development of the commercial street and attract more investments to the Kingdom of Bahrain.

During the celebration, a number of Indian and Bahraini business leaders were honored for their outstanding leadership and contributions to increasing the economic and cultural rapprochement between Bahrain and India.​