HE Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, toured Carrefour Bahrain Markets store of Majid Al Futtaim Group at Marassi Galleria in Diyar Al Muharraq and Midway in Tubli, in the presence of a number of senior officials from the Ministry, where he was briefed on the preparations to welcome the blessed month of Ramadan, where a wide range of basic food commodities and Ramadan supplements were displayed, including dates, sweets and fresh produce.

During the tour, the minister met with a number of officials in Carrefour and exchanged views on current market conditions, stressing the need for cooperation between the ministry and the private sector to ensure the availability of goods and price stability.

The minister stressed the importance of responding to consumer feedback and improving services, stressing the importance of maintaining price stability during the month of Ramadan, noting that the ministry will continue to supervise markets and take all necessary measures to control prices and provide goods at reasonable prices.

His Excellency Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, met with Her Excellency Dr. Fatema Abdul-Jabbar Al-Kooheji, Bahrain Businesswomen Society Chairman, and a number of Society members on the occasion of the election of the new Board of Directors the formation of the Council, where he referred to the active role of the Society in supporting the advancement of Bahraini women and highlighting their contributions in various fields.

His Excellency stressed the vital role of Businesswomen in Bahrain’s development journey, pointing to the importance of enhancing the contributions of Bahraini women in the economic and development sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and praising the partnership between the public and private sectors. 

Fakhro hailed the positive efforts of Bahrain Businesswomen Society and its continuous cooperation with the Ministry to strengthen the economic sector, and its organization and participation in many events at various levels, in addition to its prominent presence in various local, regional and international forums, wishing the new council great success.

HE Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro Minister of Industry and Commerce met Mr. Frédéric Sanchez President MEDEF International, and Chairman of the Executive Board of Fives Group, and his accompanying delegation, upon his visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain, in the presence His Excellency Éric Giraud-Telme, Ambassador of the French Republic to the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The Minister praised the bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the French Republic in various fields, especially economy, trade and investment, crowned by official joint agreements. Pointing to the supportive role of unions, associations and chambers of commerce in promoting bilateral efforts.

The association members reviewed the tasks of the International Federation and the French Chamber and their promotional and investment objectives, as well as a number of topics of common interest.

Medef is the first network of entrepreneurs in France, and 70% of the companies that are members of the Medef are VSEs/SMEs.

HE Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, affirmed the prominent role played by major companies in supporting the national economy.

 This came during the visit of the Minister of Industry and Commerce to the Arab Shipbuilding and Repair Company "ASRY", where he was received by CEO Dr. Ahmed Al Abri, and a number of officials. His Excellency was briefed on the company's latest developments and its most important operations.

 His Excellency pointed to the importance of major industrial projects and their strategic role in enhancing the position and competitiveness of the Kingdom of Bahrain at the regional and international levels, highlighting the increasing growth of the industrial sector and its development path to achieve sustainable economic development.

"ASRY" is one of the most prominent mega companies at the local, regional and international levels. Established in 1977 in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the company services include ship repair and conversion, as well as repair and conversion of offshore rigs and vessels, and the manufacture of offshore and onshore industrial components, covering all types of ship repair, including lifting platforms and other offshore assets.

HE Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, visited Al Helli branch in Hamad Town and Danube in Al Liwan, as part of the continuous efforts to ensure the availability of goods and stability of their prices to meet consumer needs in local market in Ramadan.

During the visit, the Minister ensured the availability of various quantities of all types of foodstuffs, in addition to available promotional offers, especially on high demand commodities during the holy month, praising the markets’ efforts in providing required goods in preparation for Ramadan, and affirming that the Ministry of Industry and Commerce is continuously following the market movement in coordination with relevant authorities.

As part of his visit to the Kingdom of Bahrain, H.E. Mr. Togmidyn Dorjkhand, Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia, and his accompanying delegation met with HE Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, where they reviewed bilateral relations.

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, stressed the Commitment of the Kingdom of Bahrain under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and the directions of the government headed by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to enhance international cooperation in all fields, especially commerce, industry and investment.

His Excellency the Minister reviewed the advantages and potentials of the investment environment in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the great facilities provided by the government to investors from all over the world, making it a favorable destination for many international projects and investments.

Dr. Khaled Fahad Al Alawi, Assistant Undersecretary for Industrial Development at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, showed the most prominent statistics of Bahrain International Investment Zone and the advantages and incentives it offers as a model area for investors, in addition to the initiatives and possibilities offered by the Kingdom of Bahrain in general for industrial investment. In his presentation, Al Alawi also referred to the developments of infrastructure projects in general in industrial areas included in the Industrial Sector Strategy (2022-2026), and expansion and development plans to enhance the Kingdom's investment position as a destination for major projects that contribute to creating promising job opportunities for citizens and achieve economic development.

 Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia, Mr. Togmidyn Dorjkhand, and his accompanying delegation accompanied by Minister Fakhro also visited the Bahrain International Investment Zone at Salman Industrial City in Al-Hidd.

In the presence of H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, JBF Bahrain factory in Salman Industrial Zone, which specializes in the manufacture of plastic wrap and biaxial oriented polyethylene terephthalate (BoPET) film products, held a celebration on the occasion of its 10th anniversary, to honor a number of entities that contributed to its success, including the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

During the ceremony, the Minister of Industry and Commerce emphasized the vitality of the industrial sector and affirmed the commitment to support it as it greatly contributes to the Kingdom of Bahrain’s development process and provides valuable opportunities for citizens.

His Excellency also toured the factory and was briefed on the work progress and mechanism, as well as the stages of manufacturing and production, and reviewed the factory's variety of products and scope of work.

Notably, the factory earned the ISO certificate for quality and the green factory label in the Kingdom of Bahrain, which reflects its commitment to quality and sustainability.

JBF originates from Belgium and has chosen to settle in the Kingdom of Bahrain for its strategic location that facilitates access to global markets, and it continues to function from Bahrain and export to various locations, including Europe, the Americas, Southeast Asia and the MENA region, and offers innovative solutions that meet diverse market needs, reinforcing its role as a major contributor to the national economy.

The twenty-third meeting of the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Board was held under the chairmanship of H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, and in the presence of representatives of member entities, on Tuesday 18^th February 2025 via video conference.

At the beginning of the meeting, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce reviewed the recommendations of the twenty-second meeting, in addition to the latest developments and key performance indicators of the Board until the end of 2024.

The Labour Fund "Tamkeen" gave a presentation on the latest developments in the SMEs Development Board strategy roadmap, in addition to presenting a questionnaire addressed to the private sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain in joint cooperation between Tamkeen, the World Bank and Ipsos, which aims to bridge knowledge gaps in the labor market and analyze the drivers of the private sector, and the obstacles that prevent growth, job creation, innovation and sustainability, to provide appropriate solutions and improve the business environment.

The Tender Board also presented a report on supporting initiatives and ways to enhance SME access to government tenders, and discussed future plans to address any challenges.

Al Amal Fund then gave a visual presentation, highlighting ways to enhance investment in the incubators and accelerators sector according to the best international practices.

Export Bahrain reviewed the latest statistics, achievements and solutions available in the field of export.

At the end of the meeting, HE Minister Fakhro praised the achievements of the Council, stressing the need to continue efforts to enhance cooperation between the concerned authorities to support the SMEs and entrepreneurship sector, in a way that strengthens the foundations of this sector and contributes to its development in order to build the national economy.