Under the patronage of the Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Mr. Zayed R. Alzayani, Assistant Undersecretary of Resources & Services Mr. Abdulaziz Alashraaf launched "Bahrain eCommerce Academy" initiative. The ceremony held in cooperation with ThinkSmart for Development and Training and Tamkeen support at the Wyndham Grand Hotel Manama. 

The ceremony began with a welcome speech by Mr. Abdulaziz Alashraaf, in which he stressed the importance of specialized training courses in eCommerce for the adoption of innovation and entrepreneurship, overcoming the technical gap and all the challenges that may face by the commercial establishments in Bahrain. This will help in building a productive economy that is able to compete globally by elevating the private sector, individuals and institutions, and enabling them to play its national role in advancing economic development.

Furthermore, Mr. Alashraf stated that "eCommerce today opens new horizons for businesses in various sectors, especially as the volume of eCommerce sales around the world is increasing and reaching an annual rate of 25.3 trillion US dollars, according to the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) During the opening of the "eCommerce week" in April 2018. He also pointed that the value of eCommerce between companies is estimated at 22.4 trillion US dollars. While the volume of electronic commerce from companies to consumers about 2.9 trillion US dollars. This confirms the vitality of this economic sector and its various successes, especially with the presence of more than two million companies around the world working in this area.”

To support these digital transformations, the Bahrain eCommerce Academy will contribute in the creation of 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 the entrepreneurs and the Bahraini community in eCommerce transactions.

Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism always seeks to launch initiatives aimed at regulating trade transactions through the enactment of legal frameworks and legislations that in turn enhance confidence among the dealers.

Moreover, Mr. Ahmed Al-Hujairi, Group CEO of ThinkSmart said in the launching ceremony that "With the technological developments we are witnessing today, the need for specialized training courses in the field of eCommerce has become a prerequisite for the growth of businesses using electronic channels, that help them enter the global markets.”

As well as “this academy will provide Bahraini businessmen and startups with the necessary electronic technical skills and train them on how to use the global platforms such as Amazon that can help immensely in electronic marketing and development.”

Mr. Ahmed Al-Hujairi Appreciated the support of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism for launching the eBusiness academy and Tamkeen for providing financial support through which it will contribute to creating quality training opportunities for Bahrainis in this field.

Founder and Chairman of Aquitude Consulting and Training in the field of eCommerce and digital marketing Ms. Christina Loannidis gave a presentation explaining the future of eBusiness and the elements of success by building clear strategies using the basics of eCommerce.

The first eCommerce training course will be launched today with the participation of 25 trainees from business, and emerging companies to incorporate the basic skills of eCommerce, to understand the concepts needed to manage eBusiness, and to focus on the benefits of eCommerce applications for businesses. This training course will last for four consecutive days at the Wyndham Grand Hotel Manama.