H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro Minister of Industry and Commerce met the Russian Minister of Culture Olga Lyubimova, in the presence of a number of officials from both sides, on the sidelines of his participation in the twenty-seventh St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in the Russian Federation.

The Minister praised the depth of Bahraini-Russian relations, noting the importance of pushing efforts to advance the prospects of bilateral cooperation, raise trade exchange rates and exchange experiences between the two countries to achieve common aspirations and goals. His Excellency also Highlighted Bahrain’s advantage as a distinguished and attractive center for global investments, noting the stimulating environment and facilities provided by the government to investors from all over the world.

Moreover, the meeting discussed and reviewed a number of issues of common interest, and topics related to the work of the Joint Intergovernmental Committee, as well as keenness to activate work mechanisms and inter-coordination, and push joint relations

As part of the coordination between the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Industrial Development Directorate, in coordination with the Industry and Energy Committee, visited "Mondelez Bahrain Biscuits " to view the latest developments in the facility, in the presence of a number of ambassadors.

Mr. Khalid Salman Al Qasimi, Director of Industrial Development at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce hailed the success achieved by the factory within the iFactories initiative, which comes in line with the industrial sector strategy 2022-2026, noting that the factory has completed the self-assessment to measure the iFactories readiness and the approved evaluation with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

Al Qasimi praised the commitment of the factory management to the development of industrial and logistics process automation, and noted the support that the factory received in the development plan from the initiative's partners Tamkeen, stressing that the factory is a model in applying the tools of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and digital maturity.

H.E. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro Minister of Industry and Commerce hailed the development of relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the People's Republic of China, pointing to the importance of consolidating aspects of cooperation to benefit both countries.

This came during Minister Fakhro's meeting with Chinese Assistant Minister of Commerce HE MR. Tang Wenhong , where they discussed a number of topics related to promoting bilateral trade and expanding investment opportunities between the two countries, in addition to reviewing opportunities in trade sectors, and exchanging experiences and technologies in areas of common interest, within the framework of the visit of the Minister of Industry and Commerce to the People's Republic of China.

The Chinese Assistant Minister of Commerce stressed keenness to develop aspects of commercial cooperation with the Kingdom of Bahrain and advancing mutual coordination to achieve common aspirations.

On the sidelines of the official visit to the Republic of China, H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro Minister of Industry and Commerce and his accompanying delegation visited Huawei headquarters in Shenzhen, China, in a step to enhance cooperation in the field of technology and communications and promote trade relations.

During the visit, the Minister toured Huawei's headquarters and was briefed on the latest technologies and innovations offered by the company and attended a number of meetings with senior officials to discuss future cooperation opportunities in various fields, including developing technology infrastructure and promoting digital technology.

Huawei is a mega global company in the world of technology and communications, it has a wide network of customers and partners that span more than 170 countries around the world, Huawei works with 45 telecommunications operators from the world's top 50 telecom operators and provides services to more than 1500 companies around the world, serving a third of the world's population.

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, met with Hong Kong's Secretary of Commerce and Economic Development Mr. Algernon Yau, as part of his participation in the work of the Industry and Investment Forum between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the People's Republic of China, organized by the National Development and Reform Commission.

Minister Fakhro stressed the bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and Hong Kong, noting the importance of enhancing the volume of economic and joint trade, considering Hong Kong’s major economic influence regionally and globally.

 For his part, Mr. Algernon Yau highlighted the importance of consolidating relations between the two countries, as well as enhancing cooperation and exchanging experiences and knowledge through expansion of strategic partnerships.

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, met with Mr. Li Mingqiang, General Manager Assistant of the Chinese company "CMEC", and several company members, to discuss cooperation in the field of developing industrial zones between the two countries, on the sidelines of his official visit to the People's Republic of China.

The Minister of Industry and Commerce affirmed Bahain’s keenness to strengthen economic and investment relations and exchange experiences between the Kingdom and China, especially in the field of developing the industrial and investment sectors, noting that the People's Republic of China is an important strategic partner in this aspect.

For his part, Mr. Mingqiang, praised the meeting as a step to consolidate relations between the two countries, enhance cooperation in the industrial sector and develop industrial zones, through the exchange of experiences and knowledge and strengthen strategic partnerships between the two countries.

China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) is a giant construction and engineering company headquartered in Beijing. The company also specializes in engineering contracting, renewable energy, power generation, infrastructure development, industrial and economic zones.

H.E. Mr.  Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro Minister of Industry and Commerce, met with Mrs. Chen Pi, Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, as part of his participation in the Industry and Investment Forum between the (GCC) and China, organized by the National Development and Reform Commission of the People's Republic of China.

The Minister of Industry and Commerce affirmed strong ties bounding the Kingdom of Bahrain and the People's Republic of China, especially in investment and economy, and exchanging experiences in the fields of industry and trade, referring in this regard to the Silk Road Economic Belt, which is a great investment opportunity to promote international trade and increase the economic development of the two countries.

A number of topics of common interest were also discussed, and for her part, Mrs. Chen Pi, noted China’s keenness to enhance economic cooperation with Bahrain and support its efforts in achieving sustainable development and enhancing economic stability.

Within the framework of the China-GCC Industry and Investment Forum, Dr. Khaled Fahad Al Alawi, Assistant Undersecretary for Industrial Development at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, participated as a keynote speaker in the Investment and Cooperation Forum in Digital Economy, organized by the People's Government of Xiamen Municipality, and the Development and Reform Commission of Fujian Province, at the International Convention Center in Xiamen, China.

Dr. Al-Alawi gave a presentation on Bahrain’s experience and its initiatives aimed at pushing the automation of manufacturing and digital transformation in the industrial sector to achieve an advanced and sustainable industry, reviewing the efforts of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce to encourage advanced manufacturing through the "iFactories" initiative, which was launched as part of the Industrial Sector Strategy. (2022-2026)

Moreover, Al Alawi highlighted areas of supportthat leadingChinese institutions can providein thefield oftechnology by upgradingproduction lines andproviding technologies of the Fourth IndustrialRevolution, most prominently robotics, theInternet of Things and artificial intelligence.

The forum aims to stimulate the multiplier effect of data elements and accelerate the development of new productivity with the participation of more than 200 officials and stakeholders from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and China, as well as a number of GCC and Chinese companies.

The forum also discussed a number of themes and topics, including seizing digital opportunities, building a multilateral digital economy society, relying on connecting digital infrastructure and expanding a new space for cooperation, in addition to focusing on interconnecting trade and digital investment, creating a new model of cooperation, focusing on connectivity of training digital talents and exploring new areas of cooperation.