Dr. Khalid Fahad Al Alawi, Assistant Undersecretary for Industrial Development at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, headed the delegation of the Kingdom of Bahrain participating in the Caucasus Investment Forum 2024, which was held under the patronage of His Excellency Mr. Ramzan Akhmatovich Kadyrov, Head of the Chechen Republic, with the participation of more than 3,000 participants from more than 30 countries.

In his speech, Al-Alawi affirmed that the participation of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the forum reflects the depth of the strong bilateral relations between the two friendly countries, pointing to the fruitful results of the recent visit of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa to the Russian Federation, and Bahrain’s keenness to strengthen cooperation with the Chechen Republic in various fields.

Moreover, Al-Alawi pointed to the importance of enhancing investments through economic cooperation in promising sectors, especially in the industrial sector, which greatly intersect with the industries targeted in the industrial sector strategy (2022-2026) for the Kingdom of Bahrain, which include pharmaceutical and food industries, semiconductors, renewable energy and manufacturing industries in aluminum and petrochemicals, in addition to exchanging experiences and knowledge to push the dissemination of research, development and industrial innovation, and leveraging technology to meet challenges and encourage innovation to develop advanced and sustainable solutions that increase productivity of industries.

HE Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, received Luigi Di Maio, the Special Representative of the European Union (EU) for the Gulf region.

The meeting discussed steps to boost cooperation between the two sides in all fields, especially economy, and a number of topics of common interest. 

The Minister hailed the distinguished relations between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the European Union, and their mutual commitment to enhance areas of cooperation to meets the ambitions of both sides and supports common interests.

HE Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, met the Chairman of the of the Board of Directors of the Canada Arab Business Council (CABC), Dr. Mohamad Sawwaf, to discuss ways to enhance economic and commercial cooperation and investment partnership between the two countries.

During the meeting, the Minister praised the role of the (CABC) in crystallizing common economic visions, and working to widen horizons in many fields, and highlighted the importance of the role of the private sector in consolidating joint relations and increasing the volume of commercial exchange, noting in this regard the facilities the Kingdom of Bahrain offers to attract international projects and benefit from these advantages.

For his part, Dr. Mohamad Sawwaf praised Bahrain’s remarkable progress at the economic and investment levels, noting the strategies and initiatives launched by the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain to attract international investments and pioneering projects to the Kingdom.

HE Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, met with Mr. Khalaf Hujair, President of the Bahraini Contractors Association, and some members of the association, to discuss topics and issues related to the contracting sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

His Excellency hailed the role of the Bahraini Contractors Association and its continued cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, affirming the Ministry’s support of all sectors affecting the economic development movement, and the commitment to facilitate the development of contracting institutions. 

For his part, the President of the Contractors Association expressed his appreciation for the great support received from the government of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and the efforts to support the contracting sector to boost its growth and development.

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, received a number of employees of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce who have recently obtained a master's degree.

His Excellency hailed their achievements and praised their competencies and continuous efforts in developing services provided by the Ministry, which reflects their dedication and high sense of national responsibility, noting the importance of employing these distinguished academic efforts in developing fields of government work, and wishing them continued progress and success.

The Joint Economic Committee between the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry held its forty-fourth meeting at the Ministry's headquarters, chaired by HE Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, and HE Mr. Sameer Nass, BCCI Chairman, in the presence of a number of officials and members of the Joint Economic Committee from both sides.

The Minister affirmed the Kingdom of Bahrain’s keenness to support the commercial and economic sectors in light of the comprehensive development process guided by His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and followed-up by HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister.

His Excellency highlighted the prominent role played by private sector in supporting the GDP, noting that the BCCI is a key partner in adopting projects and initiatives that reflect positively on supporting the national economy, and stressing the importance of enhancing cooperation to achieve common aspirations.

For his part, BCCI Chairman Sameer Nass pointed to the positive impact of these joint meetings on enhancing economic work, noting that the private sector is a key contributor to the kingdom’s economic growth, and stressing that the Chamber, as a representative of the private sector, will spare no effort in strengthening the national economy in light of global economic developments, finally expressing his appreciation for the Ministry’s efforts to support the private sector.

H.E. Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce and Chairman of the National Committee for Standardization and Metrology, chaired the fifty-eighth meeting of the National Committee for Standardization and Metrology, in the presence of a number of officials at the Ministry and members of the Committee representing the public and private sectors.

The meeting reviewed a number of topics that included the approval of the adoption of 965 optional standard specifications and 116 technical regulations, and the withdrawal of a standard specification and a Gulf technical regulation at the national level, after competent local technical committees of the National Committee for Standardization and Metrology completed the study of these projects and ensured their suitability for application in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and notifying the World Trade Organization in order to meet the requirements of the Agreement on the Removal of Technical Barriers to Trade of the Organization. Global trade.

The meeting also reviewed the mechanism for issuing universal identification codes (WMI) for automotive manufacturers followed by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), and the Inspection and Metrology Directorate was appointed as a reference point of contact in the Kingdom of Bahrain to coordinate the registration of identification codes for local manufacturers within the international system of the Association.

HE Mr. Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce, affirmed the government’s commitment to supporting and developing the industrial sector as a major contributor to the kingdom’s national economy.

This came during an inspection tour conducted by His Excellency to a number of factories in Bahrain Industrial Area in Sitra, in the presence of a number of officials, as part of the ministry's efforts to follow up on all developments in the industrial sector and identify its requirements and future plans.

The Minister referred to the Industrial Sector Strategy 2022-2026, which revolves around increasing the industrial sector’s contribution to the GDP, and increasing exports of national origin, while providing promising job opportunities for citizens. Noting that the strategy is based on supporting the sector's transformation towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution, applying the concept of a circular carbon economy and environmental and social governance, encouraging investment in technological infrastructure, digitizing manufacturing, and increasing the efficiency of supply chains through integration of Gulf industries.

Sayed Junaid Alam W.L.L. specializes in the manufacture of soap, detergents, cleaning and polishing preparations, perfumes and cosmetics, while Wires International Co WL.L., works in the manufacture of other formed metal products. His Excellency was briefed on the current situation in the factories, and reviewed the production processes and services they provide.