Minister of Industry and Commerce, H.E. Mr. Zayed R. Alzayani, headed the delegation of the Kingdom of Bahrain participating in the 63^rd  meeting of the Trade Cooperation Committee, with the participation of GCC Ministers of Commerce, in the presence of GCC Secretary-General, Dr. Nayef bin Falah Al-Hajraf. Which was held at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Riyadh, in the presence of Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Ms. Eman Ahmed Al-Doseri, Assistant Undersecretary for Local and Foreign Trade SH. Hamad bin Salman Al-Khalifa, and Assistant Undersecretary for Industrial Development Dr. Khaled Fahad AlAlawi.

The meeting discussed a number of topics related to the commercial sector and intra-GCC trade. 

H.E. the Minister of Industry and Commerce, Mr. Zayed R. Alzayani, headed Bahrain's delegation in the 4^th meeting of the GCC Ministerial Committee for Standardization Affairs, held this morning at the headquarters of the General Secretariat in Riyadh, with the participation of H.E. Dr Nayef Falah Al Hajraf, (GCC)Secretary General, and Heads of delegations of member countries of the GCC Ministerial Committee for Standardization Affairs, in the presence of H.E. Mr. Saud bin Nasser Al Khusaibi, Secretary General of GCC Standardization Organization(GSO), the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Ms. Eman Ahmed AlDoseri, and the Assistant Undersecretary for Local and Foreign Trade, SH. Hamad bin Salman Al Khalifa.

The Minister affirmed that the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in the Kingdom of Bahrain, in implementation of the directives and visions of GCC leaders, believes in cooperation with the standardization bodies of the GCC countries, as part of their general cooperation in various fields, noting the gains and advantages from robust solidarity in the various fields of standardization that will support the Gulf economy by emphasizing the importance of the imported and exported products meeting the technical requirements and the conformity assessment procedures aimed at protecting safety, health and the environment, facilitating intra-GCC trade procedures and streamlining the passage of commercial products according to internationally applicable regulations and laws.

The Minister of Industry and Commerce, H.E. Mr. Zayed R.  Alzayani participated in the Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council Committee's virtual meeting, in the presence of Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Ms. Eman Ahmed Al-Doseri, Assistant Undersecretary for Local and Foreign Trade Sh. Hamad bin Salman Al-Khalifa, and a number of Ministry officials.

The Minister praised the historical relations between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, noting the importance of these meetings to achieve common goals and aspirations.

The meeting discussed topics of joint cooperation and initiatives within the work of the Committee, and solutions to potential obstacles. As well as planning future steps to move towards achieving major common goals.​

H.E. Mr. Zayed R. Alzayani, Minister of Industry and Commerce, affirmed the Kingdom of Bahrain's continuous support to the commercial sector, by facilitating all procedures to enhance this sector and provide it with various requirements that contribute to its development, to reflect the position of the Kingdom of Bahrain and its strategic location, which contributes to increasing its competitiveness and attracting more investments.

This came during the opening ceremony of the Genesis Showroom and the unveiling of the Korean luxury Genesis G90, under the patronage of H.E. this evening at First Motors in Sitra, where he was received by Zayani Motors Chairman Mr. Nawaf Khalid Al-Zayani, and a number of senior officials from the Ministry and the company.

During the launch ceremony, the Minister listened to a detailed explanation about this Korean brand, the most popular car brand in Korea, and the developments that have been added to it and the process of its global distribution.

Minister of Industry and Commerce H.E. Mr. Zayed R. Alzayani, visited Bahrain Aluminium Company (Alba), in the presence of the Chairman of Alba's Board of Directors, Shaikh Daij bin Salman bin Daij Al Khalifa, and the Chief Executive Officer of Alba, Ali Al Baqali on Tuesday.​
 

Minister Alzayani highlighted the major contributions of national companies to the economy, noting the influential part played by Alba in escalating growth in the industrial sector, and increasing the demand for Bahraini aluminum globally.

The Minister stressed the government's commitment to continue to support national companies, to reach the set national economic development objectives. 

During the visit, Minister Alzayani inspected the sixth smelting line expansion project and was briefed on the progress of operations. He also toured the rest of the factory and listened to an explanation of all stages of manufacturing and production processes. 
 

For his part, Shaikh Daij bin Salman bin Daij Al Khalifa noted that this visit reflects the government's care to the industrial sector in general and to the aluminum sector in particular. 

The Chairman affirmed that Alba constantly seeks to explore further expansion projects, upgrades and new facilities for the company's operations, thus enhancing its competitiveness in the global aluminum industry and achieving the objectives of the Kingdom of Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030.

H.E. Mr. Zayed R. Alzayani, Minister of Industry and Commerce, received at his office this morning H.E Albino Malungo, Ambassador-Designate of the Republic of Angola, residing in Abu Dhabi, in the presence of Undersecretary Ms. Eman Ahmed Al Doseri, to review a number of topics of common interest,

The Minister welcomed the Ambassador and reviewed the bilateral relations and positive developments the two countries are witnessing at all levels, noting the importance of continuing to work to consolidate and develop these relations, especially in the industrial and commercial fields.

For his part, Ambassador Albino Malungo expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to the Minister and praised the Ministry's efforts towards strengthening the bonds of cooperation between the two countries in all fields, hoping to achieve what serves the best interest of both countries.​​​​

The Joint Economic Committee between the Ministry of Industry and Commerce and the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) held its thirty-eighth meeting, in the presence of the Minister of Industry and Commerce Zayed R. Alzayani and the Chairman of the BCCI Board of Directors, Sameer Nass.
The Minister expressed his gratitude to HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, for the orders issued by His Highness regarding the abolition of the flexible work permit, registration of all expatriate workers in partnership with the private sector, intensification of inspection campaigns, strict measures with violators, and linking professional work permits with standards and qualifications, as well as providing the appropriate environment for workers taking into account their rights, which in turn increases the effectiveness of their role in economic development, abolishing infrastructure cost recovery fees associated with the issuance of building permits, and developing financing solutions to provide infrastructure in new areas. As well as His Highness's directives to government agencies concerned with presenting investment opportunities for the public and  private sector partnership, aiding economic growth and development.

 H.E. added that these wise directives confirm His Highness's keenness to advance national economy and create a distinct development environment that stimulates further investments.  Supporting the comprehensive foundation established by HM King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.
Minister Alzayani affirmed the Ministry's commitment to cooperate with the BCCI and the private sector on all common issues, expressing the government's support for all steps and initiatives towards developing the economic sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain.
 
He highlighted the active role played by the Chamber as a representative of private sector entities, in achieving the set national goals for the commercial and industrial sectors.

For his part, the Chairman of BCCI's Board of Directors, Sameer Nass, stressed on the importance of consultative meetings in achieving common goals. He highlighted the Ministry of Industry and Commerce's efforts in addressing economic challenges, while ensuring the inclusion of the BCCI as an active partner in the formulation of economic decisions.

The meeting discussed a number of issues on its agenda and both sides presented updates related to their entities.

H.E. Mr. Zayed R. Alzayani, Minister of Industry and Commerce, received Batelco Chairman, Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, to discuss a number of topics of mutual interest.

During the meeting, H.E. the Minister affirmed the important role played by Batelco in improving the performance of commercial institutions, enhancing the digital services provided by the company to both public and private sectors and keeping track of the latest developments, especially in data management and security. H.E. noted that these efforts strengthen Bahrain's position as an important regional center that attracts major international companies specialized in information and communication technology.​

Moreover, H.E. expressed pride in the contributions of national companies to the country's development, affirming the Ministry's continued support to advancing their role in supporting the growth of the national economy.