The Minister of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism HE Zayed bin Rashid Al Zayani today provided an update on the continued strength of the Bahraini economy, noting a number of positive economic indicators during the first quarter of 2019 and highlighting Bahrain’s strong commercial fundamentals.
 
In this regard, HE the Minister announced that the volume of exports increased by 46.7% during Q1 2019 compared to the same period in 2018, while imports increased by 21.9%. The Kingdom’s trade deficit reduced by 41.1% year on year.
 
HE the Minister went on to note that Bahrain successfully hosted  a variety of activities and events attracting an increasing number of visitors, which significantly expanded economic activity in the tourism sector, increasing the sector’s contribution to the Kingdom’s overall GDP.
 
HE the Minister added that Bahrain’s All Share Index increased by 5.7% during the first quarter of 2019, and with that, the market capitalization of the Bahrain Bourse increased by 7.2% compared to the year before, delivering strong returns for investors in the Kingdom’s robust and diverse stock market.
 
HE the Minister stated that, ‘The Kingdom’s encouraging Q1 2019 economic indicators further demonstrate the strength of Bahrain’s economy, not only in the trade, tourism and industrial sectors but across all sectors’

Under the patronage of  the Minister of Industry , Commerce and Tourism, HE Zayed R. Al Zayani, Christie’s and the Bahrain Institute for Pearls and Gemstones (DANAT), today officially inaugurated the  “Magnificent Pearls” exhibition,  held at the Four Seasons Hotel in Bahrain Bay, in the presence of the Honorary Chairman of Christie’s, the Earl of Snowdon.

Welcoming guests at the opening ceremony, HE the Minister highlighted that Danat was established at the instigation of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, noting the continuous support extended by HRH to the Kingdom’s national plan to revive Bahrain’s historic pearling industry, which dates back to 5000 years.  HE further highlighted the importance of the exhibition in further supporting and developing pearling industry in the Kingdom and the wider region.

Speaking at the event, the Senior International Director of Christie’s Jewels, David Warren said, “Exhibitions focused entirely on natural pearls are very rare. It has therefore been a real pleasure curating the current one, which showcases nearly 50 lots of exceptional natural pearls from the wider region. The historic importance of Bahrain as the center of pearl fishing for thousands of years, makes Manama the perfect location for holding this magnificent exhibition.  We would like to express our deepest thanks to DANAT, the major pearl testing laboratory, for their close collaboration with this event’’.

Magnificent Pearls is one of the largest pearl exhibitions ever organized with more than 60 exceptional pearl jewels all certified by Danat, being displayed to the public. The exhibition also reinforces Bahrain's position as a global center for natural pearls and demonstrates DANAT’s dedication to developing the local and regional pearl and gemstone industry, as well as offering of training programs to the next generation of gemologists as well as those interested in pearls and gemstones from Bahrain and across the world.

It’s worth mentioning that Christie’s, the world’s leading and oldest art auction business, totaled $7 billion in 2018 by holding 350 live and online-only auctions in over 80 categories, including all areas of fine and decorative arts, jewelry, and collectibles. Christie’s also holds Private Sales, a bespoke service where our specialists are researching jewels desired by our clients. The present exhibition has been curated by Christie’s Private Sale team from around the globe.

Under the Patronage of the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism H.E. Mr. Zayed R. Alzayani, Assistant Undersecretary of Resources & Services Mr. Abdulaziz Mohamed Alashraaf opened the eCommerce Forum and Exhibition for High School Students 2019 at Bahrain National Charter Monument in Sakhir, in a strategic partnership with Labor Fund “Tamkeen” and with the support of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company “Mumtalakat” as a Silver sponsor of the event. The event is organized in cooperation with the Student Affairs Directorate in Ministry of Education and Think smart Institute for Development and Training with the participation of 200 students and teachers from different private and public high schools in the Kingdom of Bahrain.

The ceremony has been started with a welcome speech from the organizing committee, which is the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism confirmed that organizing the first forum for high school students specialized in eCommerce applications to spread the entrepreneurship awareness among youth in light of the current technological development and encouraging them to innovate in this area which will contribute to the economic development.

In this context, the winners of the eCommerce Competition which was held in parallel with the forum have been announced for the best 3 ideas of electronic projects in the field of eCommerce applications. The first winner was Al Hekma International School for the Online Tutoring project idea in the eLearning category. The second winner was implementing the smart phone application to help the old vehicles from Al Jaafari Religious Institute in the category of eShopping. As well as, Al Esteqlal Secondary Girls School was the third winner for online stationary application in the category of eMarketing.

Then the Education Sector Manager Microsoft Bahrain and Oman Mr. Ahmed Mohammed Ebrahim has started the presentation under the title “Technology will change the future”, where he briefed the students on the latest technologies used in the field of eCommerce applications. 

Moreover, Dr. Ahmed Abdulla Nasser the Counselor of Knowledge Club for Information Technology and Communication added in his presentation how the young entrepreneur thinks and what skills required to employ their talent through the latest technology and offering eCommerce training courses by the Bahrain eCommerce Academy initiative between the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism and the Think Smart Institute for Development Training and supported by Tamkeen, which will contribute to the development and success of online projects.

On the other hand, Mohamed Abdulrasool Saleh the Investor’s Relation Specialist at the Commercial registration Directorate in the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, clarified that the youth can conduct their eProjects through an easiest way, which called “Sijili” the virtual registration that can be practiced without physical location requirement and the types of activities. 

The most successful stories in the eCommerce field “Talabat” website has been presented by Mr. Hesham Ahmed AL Saati the Managing Director of Talabat Company. He viewed the beginning story of the project and how it reaches the global success.

The forum concluded by Ms. Eman A.Aziz Janahi Youth Schemes in

Operations Department at Labour Fund “Tamkeen” with highlighting ‘Mashroo3i Youth Business Plans Competition that held recently with 30 projects from various fields aims to cultivate the entrepreneurial spirit among the youth by instilling the values of hard work and determination and to create a platform to solidify the skills of young Bahrainis and introduce them to the competitive world of business.

On the sideline of the forum, mini exhibition was held for the winners and the best participated projects in the eCommerce competition, which present the ideas of their eProjects and how to apply them in the eCommerce field.

The eCommerce and Information Technology Directorate in Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism will organize the first edition of the eCommerce Forum and Exhibition for high school students 2019 in a strategic partnership with Labor Fund “Tamkeen” and with the support of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company “Mumtalakat” as a Silver sponsor of the event. The event will also be done in cooperation with the Student Affairs Directorate in Ministry of Education that will be held on Wednesday          27th March 2019, in Bahrain National Charter Monument in Sakhir from 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM.

This initiative is in line with the vision of the Kingdom’s directions to build a productive economy that is able to compete internationally by upgrading the private sector, individuals and institutions, and enabling it to play its national role in promoting economic development.

The forum, which is organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Education aims to spread the awareness of the importance of eCommerce and its applications in the Kingdom of Bahrain and enhancing trust in the security of electronic transactions among all members of society. It will highlight the most important examples and best practices of the successful applications and electronic Markets in the world of eCommerce.

Dr. Ebrahim Mohammed Janahi Chief Executive of Labour Fund “Tamkeen” stressed the importance of supporting and encouraging Bahraini youth as they consider one of the key elements of economic growth, alongside with enhancing the sustainability of the entrepreneurship field, by establishing a culture of creativity and promoting the spirit of competition in order to qualify them to meet labor market needs. This will consequently contribute to open wide horizons for engaging in eCommerce projects and transforming them globally.

Mr. Mahmood H. Alkooheji, CEO of Mumtalakat, the silver sponsor of the event, also expressed his support and encouragement to all the national events organized by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, which aim to create a promising generation of Bahraini businesses and entrepreneurs, and will contribute to the economic development of the Kingdom of Bahrain.

At the same time of the Forum, the first eCommerce promotion competition for high school students will be launched for the best idea in various applications such as online education, eHealth, eTourism, eShopping and others, to motivate students to innovate in this field and support local initiatives to move from the virtual world into reality. Three winners will be announced and honored as the best eProjects idea in eCommerce field.

Hence, all high school students are invited to participate in the eCommerce competition and register to attend the forum through the following link: www.moic.gov.bh/sforum , and for more information and details, contact this number: 17574782.

Under the Patronage of H.E. Mr. Zayed R. Alzayani, the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism inaugurated Kingdom Block Company at Salman Industrial City – Hidd, in presence of Chairman of the Board of Directors of Kingdom Group  Companies Mr. Saud Kanoo and a number of board members, officials and businessmen.

On this occasion, the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism confirmed kingdom’s pride under the 

 leadership of His Majesty the King and the government to embrace more industrial and commercial facilities on its land and attract local, regional and international capital. 

The minister emphasized government interest and support to all industrial, commercial and tourism projects.  This project coincides Kingdom's celebration of the National Action Charter Day, which translates the initiatives of the Bahraini private sector in supporting economic and development march that is established by His Majesty the King and the government, which contribute to enhance Bahrain's reputation as an important investment location in the region and reflects the economic growth witnessed by the country. 

From his part, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Kingdom Group Companies Mr. Saud Kanoo confirmed that the launch of this industrial achievement is first of its kind in the Kingdom of Bahrain and it is expected to cover Bahraini market needs without the need to import abroad. The warehouse provides high quality heat-resistant construction products in accordance with international standards.  He expressed his pride in growing of competitive projects in the Kingdom of Bahrain, as the Kingdom of Bahrain is always supporting Bahraini companies in various fields.

The company is built on an area of 30,000 m2 and the production capacity of the new factory about 350 thousand cubic meters per year of thermal insulation block and building materials. 

Under the Patronage of H.E. Mr. Zayed R. Alzayani, the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Undersecretary of Industry Affairs Mr. Osama Mohammed Alorrayedh

officially opened Armacell’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in the Bahrain International Investment Park (BIIP), in presence of the Executive Director of Business Development Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics from Economic Development Board Mr Husain Rajab.  Armacell, a global leader in flexible foam for the equipment insulation market and a leading provider of engineered foams, today officially opened their state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Bahrain.

H.E. Mr. Zayed R. Alzayani, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism said: “Bahrain’s government is committed to creating an environment that can attract and support the leading companies in the world. We will continue to collaborate with leading companies to anchor high value-added manufacturing, adopt advanced manufacturing technologies and equip our people with the requisite skillsets. Our partnership with Armacell is a good example of how we are doing this.”

Patrick Mathieu, President and CEO of the Armacell Group, commented: "We are proud to announce the completion of our new green field site in the Kingdom of Bahrain. This state-of-the-art manufacturing facility strengthens our commitment to the Gulf region and will serve as our regional trading hub. I would like to thank all the parties involved in making this project a success and am looking forward to leveraging centuries of trading history of the Bahraini people and its favourable logistical location going forward." 

H.E. Mr. Khalid Al Rumaihi, Chief Executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board, said: “Armacell today joins a growing list of leading manufacturing and supply chain firms that have chosen Bahrain as the base for their regional operations. Its decision is symbolic of the faith and confidence in Bahrain’s rapidly-growing manufacturing sector, one of the key drivers of the nation’s Vision 2030 economic diversification plans. The manufacturing industry has grown 20 per cent over the past five years representing 15 per cent of the country’s GDP and second largest contributor to non-oil revenue. We are delighted to see Armacell take advantage of the tremendous business incentives and cost efficiencies of doing business here, and as we pursue another key strategy of shaping a digital economy, modernising manufacturing with a solid technology infrastructure is top of mind for many companies.”  

Guillerme Huguen, Vice President EMEA, added:" We are excited to go live with our new manufacturing facility in Bahrain and to further develop our presence in the Middle East. I would like to thank our partners The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism and EBD (Economic Development of Bahrain) for their support over the last 18 months." 

Armacell’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility went into production in 2018 and exports a comprehensive range of products from BIIP, including high-density acoustics materials and elastomeric insulation for heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems, across the GCC.

The 11,000sq.m. manufacturing facility in Bahrain International Investment Park is part of Armacell’s goal to grow the group’s manufacturing footprint in the Gulf Region. The plant will initially provide approx. 100 jobs. Armacell’s Middle East team has been active in the Gulf Region for a decade and is led by Neville D’Souza, Managing Director of Armacell Middle East Company S.P.C.

The Bahrain eCommerce Academy which is one of the initiatives between Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism and ThinkSmart for  Development and Training and supported by Tamkeen for its trainings, continue providing specialized training courses in the eCommerce field to Bahraini Entrepreneurs, startups and for those who have or wish to have online Businesses.

The training course “Internet Marketing Associate” was recently held on 14th -17th January 2019 in Wyndham Grand Hotel Manama, for 22 trainees from different trading establishments. The training course focused on the high-tech, data-driven world of digital commerce and understanding on how to set their commercial strategy to drive customer acquisition and growth. This course provides the trainees with toolkits which they can utilize to run their own digital business.

It is worth mentioning that the number of trainees enrolled in the Academy till this date is about 75, since the start of this initiative covering three training courses held so far  which are: Mastering eCommerce Masterclass, Internet Marketing Associate Training and Mastering Marketplace eCommerce.

All the training courses aim to create an integrated training platform, based on the refinement of technical skills and the provision of the necessary information and expertise, which will encourage investment in the field of eCommerce and qualify Bahraini youth and entrepreneurs in eCommerce transactions.

Hence, we invite all the business establishments that wish to develop their business to participate in the upcoming training course which is “Mastering Digital Marketing” on 11th – 14th February 2019 to register through the website www.thinksmart.bh​ or by  email info@thinksmartbh.com or contact 17746746.

The Minister of Industry, Commerce & Tourism Mr. Zayed R. Alzayani met Italian Delegation headed by Mr. Pietro Paolo Rampino the Second Vice-President of Joint Italian Arab Chamber, in presence of Italian ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain Mr. Domenico Bellato.

During the meeting, they reviewed a number of Joint Bahraini-Italian projects especially in light of the directives of the leaderships and the governments of the two countries to enhance their economic relations and develop ways of trade exchange.  

In this context, the minister reviewed the potential enjoyed by the kingdom of Bahrain in various economic fields, welcoming all investments from all over the world.  He also stressed the importance of mutual visits between the private sectors in both countries in bolstering many ideas and initiatives. 

The Minister also highlighted the importance and role of the private sector in consolidating mutual relations and increasing trade volume, pointing out the outstanding offers undertaken by the government of Bahrain for investors from all over the world. He also referred to the facilities procedures pursued by the government to enhance the economic sector and encourage large-scale projects in Bahrain.