The second Arab Consumer Protection Day will be held this year in the Kingdom of Bahrain under the slogan "Arab Women and Consumer Protection". Scheduled to be launched tomorrow Monday, and organized by the Consumer Protection Directorate at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, in cooperation with the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Bahrain.

A group of GCC and Arab experts, legalists, academics, and technicians in the field of consumer protection within the Greater Arab Free Trade Area will participate in the celebration, in the presence of a number of Bahraini society women from civil societies, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Bahrain.

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce confirmed that holding the celebration of the Arab Consumer Protection Day in Manama comes as a continuation and extension of the outstanding success achieved by the Kingdom of Bahrain in the field of consumer protection during the year 2023, most notably the Consumer Friend Initiative, which aimed to serve the interest of all consumers, citizens, residents, and visitors to the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The Ministry called on those interested in the field of protecting consumer rights to follow the official page of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce @moicbahrain, to obtain more details and register for the celebration.

The celebration of Arab Consumer Protection Day comes in response to the recommendation of the 13^th meeting of the Group of Experts in the field of consumer protection within the Greater Arab Free Trade Area, which falls under the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States. The celebration of Arab Consumer Protection Day is organized annually in one of the Arab countries in conjunction with the World Consumer Rights Protection Day, which was adopted by the United Nations in 1983 to discuss the most important yearly topics in the field of consumer protection.

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, inaugurated Multinational School Bahrain Commerce Day festival 2024. 

During the visit, H.E. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, praised the efforts of the school administration in developing and refining students' business skills, and toured the exhibition to browse projects, products and services accompanying the festival. Where he was briefed on the various young projects, in addition to the most important services and training programs provided by the school.

For her part, school principal Ola Abu Zaarour, expressed appreciation to HE Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, for inaugurating the MNS Bahrain Commerce Day Festival 2024, noting that the aim of this festival is to allow students to learn about business practices in the real market, and hoping that they benefit from this experience to enhance their capabilities in the field of entrepreneurship and contribute positively to the development of the Kingdom of Bahrain’s economy in the future.

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, received H.E. Okai Asako, Ambassador of Japan to the Kingdom of Bahrain, on the occasion of her appointment as Ambassador of her country to the Kingdom.

The Minister stressed the depth of the strong economic relations that tie Bahrain and Japan, which contributed to raising the terms of trade and expanding the scope of investments and projects in the interest of both countries, expressing his sincere wishes to Her Excellency the Ambassador in her duties.

Ambassador Asako expressed her deep thanks and appreciation to the Minister for his keenness and interest in strengthening trade relations between Bahrain and Japan, affirming the importance of expanding areas of cooperation in various fields.

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, inaugurated the first branch of "Padel Kingdom", in Ramli, in the presence of Mr. Abdulla Ali Yateem, owner of Padel Kingdom companies, and a number of officials.

A friendly match was held on the sidelines of the opening ceremony, followed by an awarding of the winners. H.E. the Minister expressed the importance of supporting the private sector to expand the scope of existing projects in the Kingdom, and diversify their fields to keep pace with the different interests of society members, including sports projects, which are getting notably popular among different ages.

HE Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce affirmed the importance of developing the business sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain and attracting more local and international investments by easing procedures and developing laws and legislations that support conducting business in a way that ensures growth and sustainability.

This came during the launch of the 2024 MESAC Family Business Summit, which will be hosted by KPMG in the Middle East, South Asia and the Caspian Sea region, in the Kingdom of Bahrain on February 13 and 14, 2024 under the slogan "Preserving the Legacy" in family businesses across the region.

The summit will address important topics including preserving and renewing the legacy of family businesses, reinventing family businesses, the role of women in preserving family heritage, diversification while upholding family values, and emerging entrepreneurship that drives digital innovation within family businesses.

On the sidelines Summit, Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, said that with their long history, family businesses represent an important part of the national economy and have a positive impact on the comprehensive development in the region, pointing to the constant keenness to provide support for small and medium enterprises and improve their strength and productivity, considering their prominent role in the national economic development.

His Excellency concluded "We are honored to host the Family Business Summit 2024, and we hope that this will be an opportunity to share leading practices across the region and beyond, and we look forward to continue building new partnerships and friendships that support the business sector."

Reflecting on the importance of Family Businesses within the global marketplace, Harish Gopinath, Head of KPMG Enterprise in the MESAC region stated, "The challenges and opportunities faced by family businesses in this region are unique and require tailored strategies to provide an intricate balance for business leaders to leverage their success for future growth, while also looking to sustain the legacy of their enterprise for future generations. The summit will provide a platform for participants to share insights and strategies, ensuring that they have a virtuous network to be support them in sustainable growth of their family legacies."

Generational transition and innovation; Women empowerment in Family Businesses; ESG integration in family business practices; Leveraging the Start-up/ Entrepreneurial mindset to drive Digital Innovation; and Cross-border collaborations are some of the key areas that reflect the most recent trends and diverse dynamics within family businesses in the MESAC region.

Jamal Fakhro, Managing Partner, KPMG in Bahrain stated, ‘We are truly honored to host the 2024 MESAC Family Business Summit in Bahrain this year. We look forward to welcoming the family members and senior business leaders who represent some of the largest and most progressive family businesses across the region. It is also an opportunity for us to recognize, showcase and engage with some of the leading Bahraini Family business leaders to understand how they have addressed specific challenges within their operations, and leverage critical growth opportunities to foster a platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange within the national marketplace."

 The 2024 MESAC Family Business Summit will take place at the Gulf Convention Centre, in the Kingdom of Bahrain and is scheduled for the 13-14 February 2024. It will be an opportunity for participants to learn from insightful presentations and discussions focusing on the latest trends and opportunities for family businesses; interact and engage with advisors and leaders from family-owned companies; connect and network with leaders of family businesses from across the region and like-minded professionals. The summit is particularly beneficial for owners of family-owned businesses, young emerging leaders taking on greater responsibilities within their family businesses, and directors or senior management of family-owned companies.

H.E. Minister of Industry and Commerce Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro stressed the role of the private sector and its initiatives and contributions in achieving economic growth.

This came during the inauguration of "Matrix" Gaming Zone in Juffair Mall in Manama, in the presence of MP H.E. Hasan Bokhamas and a number of officials.

The minister toured the location and listened to a detailed explanation of the technologies used in the center. His Excellency praised the high-quality technical level it offers in its gaming variety, with high international standards for family entertainment while providing diversity in recreational sports activities.

HE Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, met with HE Eng. Ahmed Samir, Egypt's Minister of Industry and Trade, on the sidelines of the meetings of the Supreme Committee for Integrated Industrial Partnership for Sustainable Economic Development, currently being held in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

HE Fakhro stressed the depth of bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Arab Republic of Egypt, noting the importance of enhancing prospects of cooperation and joint work in various sectors, including enriching the economic sectors and exchanging expertise in the industrial and commercial fields.

The meeting also reviewed the support and efforts of both countries towards the development of the industrial and commercial sector, in addition to identifying the steps and programs being implemented in cooperation with the private sector to support this field and its growth.​

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, met with H.E. Mr. Yousef Mahmoud Al-Shemali, Jordanian Minister of Industry, Trade and Supply, on the sidelines of the meetings of the Supreme Committee for Integrated Industrial Partnership for Sustainable Economic Development, currently held in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The Minister of Industry and Commerce affirmed the depth of bilateral relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, pointing to the importance of expanding cooperation and joint work, especially regarding supporting the economic sectors in general.

The meeting also discussed a number of issues of common interest, especially those focusing on joint economic relations, and ways to enhance and develop them to achieves common goals.​