HE Mr. Zayed bin Rashed Al Zayani, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, congratulated His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sport (SCYS), President of the General Sports Authority and President of Bahrain Olympic Committee, on the issuance of a Royal decree appointing His Highness as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the General Sports Authority.

The Minister expressed sincere congratulations to HH Shaikh Khalid on the precious Royal trust bestowed upon him, thanks to His Highness's dedicated efforts in serving the Kingdom, wishing him every success in further developing the sports movement in Bahrain.​

Represented by Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA) and Gulf Air, the Kingdom of Bahrain participates in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) 2021, which was launched today at Dubai World Trade Centre, in the presence of HE Mr. Zayed bin Rashed Al Zayani, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, and Chairman of BTEA, and Dr Nasser Qaedi, CEO of BTEA, in addition to representatives of Gulf Air and tourism establishments in the Kingdom.

Occupying 400 metres, Bahrain pavilion at ATM was designed to represent the attractiveness of tourism in Bahrain and the key tourism attractions in the Kingdom. The pavilion includes a distinguished section of Gulf Air, the national carrier of the Kingdom of Bahrain, in addition to seven private tourism sector establishments that present their best offers in this event, which is considered the largest of its kind in the region, and is being held on May 16-19, 2021, under the theme "A New Dawn for Travel and Tourism".

On this occasion, the Minister said in a statement on the side-lines of the opening ceremony that the ATM comes this year at a very important time with the beginning of the tourism sector's recovery from the Coronavirus, and the return of the flow of tourists, especially to the first countries in granting vaccinations and immunising societies such as the Kingdom of Bahrain.

Mr. Al Zayani praised the initiatives of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, and HM the King's  comprehensive patronage of the economic and tourism sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

He also said that holding the ATM 2021 in Dubai through physical attendance will have positive results on encouraging all countries to advance in the tourism sector, as Dubai is committed to maintaining the highest standards and protocols of public health and safety in this exhibition.

On the side-lines of the event, the Minister participated as a speaker in the panel discussion, which included the Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium Enterprises, the Minister responsible for the tourism sector in the United Arab Emirates, HE Dr Ahmed bin Abdullah Belhoul Al Falassi, and the Minister of Tourism of the State of Israel, HE Ms. Orit Farkash-Hacohen, and other renowned regional and international personalities in the field of tourism.

During a speech delivered as part of his participation in the panel discussion, the Minister said the Bahraini participation in the ATM 2021 this year aims to restore the Kingdom of Bahrain's share in the global tourism market, and even achieve higher rates in terms of the number of tourists, their stay and spending rate.

"We are excited to see the tourism sector in Bahrain come back to life, and we are working to capitalise on the success achieved by the national team concerned with addressing the Coronavirus pandemic at the health level in quickly restoring activity to the economic sector, of which the tourism sector is one of its most important pillars, and that the participation of the Kingdom of Bahrain in this year's edition of ATM is in line with the efforts made to prepare the tourism recovery after the pandemic worldwide, and to position Bahrain as a preferred travel destination, while continuing to maintain health guidelines," Mr. Al Zayani stated.

The Minister also participated as a speaker in the China Tourism Forum that took place today, during which the latest trends of travel abroad from China were highlighted, as well as the best way to meet this demand.

Mr. Al Zayani said: " The Respected Government has taken all necessary measures to secure the entry of visitors and tourists to the country with ease and without any obstacles, and has raised the level of government health coordination between the various GCC countries to approve vaccination and recovery certificates from the Coronavirus, and a safe travel corridor has been approved between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates to allow citizens and residents of the two countries to move between them without the need to apply quarantine requirements, in addition to preparing to receive tourists and visitors from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, starting on May 17."

On his part, Dr Qaedi underlined that the BTEA is seeking through its participation in the ATM 2021 to confirm the presence of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the main exporting markets for tourists in GCC countries and the world, and promoting a package of various initiatives and projects prepared by the Authority to revitalise the tourism sector in Bahrain in cooperation with various tourist establishments, and introducing major projects such as the new Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre in Sakhir.

Dr Qaedi added that the Authority is keen to participate in the largest possible number of events included in the event, including sessions and conferences, in addition to events related to the hotel industry, buyers forums, the International Conference on Tourism and Investment and the use of technology in tourism, with the aim of presenting the efforts of the Kingdom of Bahrain to advance the tourism sector, diversify and integrate its products and raise its contribution to the GDP within the goals of Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030.​

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism (MoICT), represented by the Inspection Directorate, has recently took the necessary legal steps against a restaurant in Muharraq Governorate, for its violation of the precautionary and preventive measures to combat the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Directorate, in cooperation with the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Health, has administratively shut down the violating shop for a period of one week.

The Directorate clarified: “Due to the violation by that facility of the regulatory procedures and requirements stipulated in Ministerial Resolution No. 51 of 2020 regarding the health requirements to be applied in restaurants and cafes to contain and prevent the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), and the monitoring of violations of the instructions issued in this regard, the laws were applied towards the violating restaurant. The violations were detected and the restaurant was closed administratively for a week, in coordination between the concerned officers in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Health, while legal measures are being undertaken."

As for the rest of the stores that were monitored in all governorates, some stores who were noticed to have deficiencies were alerted on the mechanism of implementing some procedures that are subject to correction, and they were corrected immediately by the owners of those stores.

The Ministry confirms the continuation of field visits with the competent supervisory authorities to intensify their supervision during the Eid Al Fitr holiday period to ensure the reopening of shops and practicing their activities in accordance with the required procedures required, as one of the important pillars to limit the spread of the virus and maintain safety for all. ​

The Inspection Directorate in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism (MoICT) has recently affirmed that it is intensifying its inspection campaigns on the occasion of the advent of Eid Al Fitr, including fruit and vegetable markets, women's beauty centres, men's salons, tailors and sweets shops, bakeries, shopping malls, and all the shops that receive a wide demand during this period in all governorates of the Kingdom.

The Ministry had previously prepared an integrated action plan that covered the period before the advent of the Holy Month of Ramadan, during the Holy Month and extends to the days of Eid Al Fitr, with the intensification of tours on nights and days that are the peak in people's turnout to markets and restaurants.

The inspection includes verifying the commitment of establishments and their employees to all health precautions and requirements in light of the global exceptional circumstance, and to verify the availability of major food products in order to secure the needs and requirements of citizens and residents for these basic commodities and products.

Additionally, and with the increasing number of promotions and discounts during this season, the inspection campaigns include validating promotions and prices, verifying their validity, and others, in order to ensure that the increased demand for purchase is not exploited to promote incorrect or misleading offers to consumers. The Directorate stressed that in the event of any cases of commercial fraud, measures are taken against the violators.

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism calls on all consumers to report any violations regarding commercial fraud or incorrect promotions through the Ministry's call centre on 80001700, or via the Inspection Directorate's email on Inspection@www.moic.gov.bh, or via The National Suggestions and Complaints System "Tawasul".​

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism (MoICT) has recently signed an agreement with Bahrain Steel BSCC E.C. to rent a 360,000 square metre space in Salman Industrial City in Hidd to expand the Company's operations in the Kingdom.

This additional space will contribute to increasing the production capacity of the Company in order to meet the increasing demand for its products of high quality iron ore pellets used in the production of steel for the regional and global markets.

The agreement was signed by Ms. Eman Ahmed Al Dossari, Undersecretary of MoICT, and Mr. Bader Al Al Tamimi, Administrative Affairs Director General at Bahrain Steel.

Through this agreement, the Company intends to invest approximately BD15 million in the coming months to equip and reclaim the additional area, in addition to about BD12 to BD15 million to supply the equipment needed for iron ore handling in order to double production from 1.8 million tonnes to 4 million tonnes.

On the occasion, Ms. Al Dossari said the step reflects the Company's confidence in the investment environment in the Kingdom of Bahrain by signing an agreement to lease additional space, which will contribute to strengthening its operations, raising its exports and creating job opportunities, as Bahrain Steel is a strategic partner and an effective contributor to the domestic product of the non-oil industries in the Kingdom.

On his part, Mr. Dilip George, CEO of Bahrain Steel, said: "We are glad with the allocation of an additional land to Bahrain Steel Company to expand its production capacity, which is in dire need to increase economic movement. We also thank the Government of the Kingdom of Bahrain for creating a supportive environment for companies, including the exceptional support provided to companies in 2020 to mitigate the social and economic impact of the pandemic. Over the past three decades, Bahrain Steel has exported Bahrain-made products to all over the world, raised the flag of the Kingdom of Bahrain high, and trained hundreds of Bahraini recent graduates through career programmes, and we are proud of our contributions in the economy of the Kingdom of Bahrain."

Bahrain Steel, which is owned by Fulath Holding Company by 100 percent, is located on an area of 1.3 square kilometers in Salman Industrial City, with a total investment of around USD3.5 billion. Bahrain Steel currently employs 458 employees, about 57 percent of whom are Bahraini citizens. It is estimated that the companies under Fulath Holding contribute 4 percent to Bahrain's GDP and about 26 percent to Bahrain's non-oil exports​

E Mr. Zayed bin Rashed Al Zayani, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, and Chairman of Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA), has paid an inspection visit today to the venue of the new Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre (BIECC) project in Sakhir.

The Minister was updated on the latest developments in implementing the project, which has reached a 30 percent progress, and directed to remove all obstacles to ensure its completion as scheduled by end of the second quarter of 2022.

He praised the efforts of the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning for its supervisory role supporting the implementation of the strategic project.

The Minister affirmed that the project is the biggest one carried out by BTEA and will provide an exemplary venue to host international events.

He added the Centre will further attract the organising companies of exhibitions and conferences to hold their international events in it, noting that this will further promote the tourism sector in the Kingdom so as to diversify revenues and achieve the aspirations of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

The inspection visit was attended by Eng. Ahmed Abdulaziz Al Khayat, Works Affairs Undersecretary at the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning, Dr Nasser Qaedi, CEO of BTEA, Eng. Shaikh Mesha'al bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, Assistant Undersecretary for Construction and Maintenance Projects at the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning,  and a number of officials and architects in charge of the project.​

HE Mr. Zayed bin Rashed Al Zayani, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, received at his office today HE Mr. Patrick Simonet, Head of the European Union Delegation to Bahrain, residing in Riyadh.

During the meeting, the Minister welcomed praised the close friendship and distinguished cooperation between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the European Union and its common interest in strengthening friendship ties and opening areas for cooperation to meet the aspirations of both sides.

Mr. Al Zayani stressed the importance of advancing broader horizons between both sides, in a way that supports the common interests of the two friendly countries.

The joint bilateral relations and ways to enhance cooperation mechanisms were reviewed, in addition to discussing issues of common interest​

HE Mr. Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, has recently chaired the first meeting of the Working Group to follow up on the recommendations made by the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) during the Joint Economic Committee meeting between the Ministry and BCCI.

The Committee was formed based on the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to study and follow up on the implementation of BCCI's recommendations.

The meeting was also attended by Mr. Sameer bin Abdulla Nass, Chairman of BCCI, and senior officials from the Ministry and the Chamber.

During the meeting, the Minister lauded the unlimited support provided by of the Government, led by HRH Crown Prince and Prime Minister, to the efforts to develop the national economy, as well as to confirm the role of the private sector in this regard.

Mr. Al Zayani highlighted the important role played by BCCI in stimulating the national economy, and enhancing the contribution of the private sector to the kingdom's GDP, praising the ongoing cooperation between the Ministry and BCCI to achieve the national interests, as well as the visions and strategies of the public and the private sector in the economic and development fields.

The meeting discussed the work mechanisms of the Working Group, and reviewed a number of topics of mutual interest.​​