- OVER 20,000 JOB ENTRANTS & EMPLOYEES TARGETED BY END-2009 -

27 June 2010, Manama:  The Chief Executive of Bahrain’s Economic Development Board (EDB) today commended Tamkeen after the organisation announced its investment in human capital had targeted over 20,000 job entrants and employees by end-2009.

Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa’s comments follow the publication of Tamkeen’s Annual Report, which shows its private sector support programmes had supported 3,212 enterprises by the close of the year.  Some 27,560 job entrants and employees have been targeted for specialised training through its human capital development programmes.  And thousands more have benefited through a number of approved enterprise and career development programmes.

He said: “The large number of beneficiaries enrolled in Tamkeen’s programmes reflects its commitment to enabling a prosperous future for Bahrain and important role in achieving the ambitions of Vision 2030.  This investment in human resources – and in cultivating the growth of the private sector – is crucial for the Kingdom’s continued and sustainable economic growth.”

The EDB – which is leading Bahrain’s Vision 2030 and creating the right climate to attract foreign investment – launched labour market reforms in 2004 under the guidance of His Royal Highness Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince of Bahrain and Chairman of the EDB.  This has led to the establishment of Tamkeen  to equip Bahrain’s highly-skilled young workforce with the relevant skills to enable them to seek better opportunities to elevate the national living standards in line with Bahrain’s Vision 2030.

Since 2007, Tamkeen has helped to enable the private sector and empower people, talent, careers, systems and cultures.  The organisation has supported initiatives aimed at improving the labour and capital productivity of Bahraini businesses.  And through programmes to help Bahrainis advance professionally, it is helping to ensure that an even greater number of the Kingdom’s growing and increasingly diverse national workforce become the employees of choice for international businesses locating in Bahrain as the gateway to the trillion dollar Gulf market.

H.E. the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs and Tamkeen’s Chairman Dr. Nezar bin Sadiq Al Baharna added:  “Our alignment to the Kingdom’s Economic Vision 2030 cements our goals and signifies the important role that we play in its realisation.  Our mission now is to empower Bahrainis according to market requirements and build enterprise capabilities in order to contribute to the expansion of the national economy.  A skilled workforce and an empowered private sector is another added value to all the other attractions for investing in Bahrain”

An estimated 100,000 young people will join the Bahrain workforce over the next 10 years.  Among them will be an ever increasing number of university graduates and women seeking highly skilled positions.  The Kingdom’s business sector is already supported by the most productive, well-educated and highly skilled national workforce in the GCC, a key factor in attracting multinational companies.

Bahrain has consistently invested in education and skills-attainment in line with the requirements of international business.  Tamkeen’s own 2010-2014 Strategy aims to ensure the Kingdom’s human capital is more productive, effective and responsive for a more competitive private sector.

GCC succeeded in diversification in the plastics industry, says German trade fair organizer Messe Dusseldorf GmbH

Dubai, UAE, 1 June, 2010: German trade fair organizer Messe Dusseldorf GmbH has said that the region’s response to ‘K 2010’, the largest international trade fair for the plastics and rubber industry, taking place from October 27 to November 3, 2010 in Dusseldorf, Germany, is more than 4 times bigger in terms of display area. 

This was revealed at a press conference hosted by Messe Dusseldorf in Dubai today (Tuesday, June, 1, 2010). The German company said that GCC states, especially the UAE, have succeeded in diversifying its economy by investing heavily in the plastics industry.

The company said the UAE plastics industry growth was fueled by industrial modernization initiatives spearheaded by the GCC governments. The Gulf region is also reducing its dependence on imports to plastics by enhancing local manufacturing, and is heading towards the direction of self sufficiency in the near future.

“UAE exhibitors will present their products over an exhibition space of 549 sq. m. compared to 129 sq. m. in 2007. The 242,000 trade visitors who attended the event three years ago came from nearly 100 countries. 57% of them were from outside Germany, among them about 700 experts from the UAE. As a key player in the plastics and rubber industry in the Gulf region, Dubai is an essential stop for us to announce the trade fair and discuss potential opportunities,” said Ludwig Koenig, Director, Messe Duesseldorf GmbH.

According to the recent Dubai Export Development Corporation 2009 report, the plastics industry is one of the leading manufacturing sectors in Dubai, with around 90 industrial establishments in operation, producing products like bottle and containers, pipes and fittings, bags, doors and windows, caps and lids, foils and utensils. It is estimated that the value of plastic annual production in Dubai is around AED 1.3 billion. This estimate is based on exports of AED 976 million with the assumption that 75% of the production is exported.

The plastics industry is one of the high value added industries in Dubai contributing 50% of its production value in net value added components. Outsourced services like design and manufacturing services make 9% of the production value.

The plastics industry in Dubai has many positive factors capable of driving its continuous growth. These factors include the low cost of transport of some products and the availability of the raw materials from the GCC.

Ulrich Reifenhaeuser, Chairman of the K 2010 Exhibitors’ Committee, added: “The GCC is heading towards reaching a stage where there is self sufficiency in the production of plastics for the region’s domestic use.

Satish Khanna, General Manager of Al Fajer Information & Services, the regional partner of Messe Dusseldorf underscored the significance of the plastics sector saying that the proof of the growth of this sector is the larger UAE participation in K 2010 and the increasing demand of participants at the 10th edition of Arab Plast to be held from 8 to 11 January.

Khanna added: “Plastics industry now accounts for 10.6% of the total manufacturing in GCC, of which 4% investment is plastics and petrochemicals.”

The employment in plastics and rubber makes up 4% of the total employment in manufacturing in the Gulf, according to Gulf Organisation for Industrial Consulting (GOIC). The total number of plastics industries in the UAE is 505 units, with an investment of $732 million as per GOIC statistics.
 
“Despite the unsettled global economy, companies from all continents have high hopes for K 2010. This is clearly reflected in the registration figures: all 19 available trade fair halls are fully booked, and not a single company of note is absent from the list of exhibitors. About 3,000 companies will be present at the flagship trade fair,” added Reifenhaeuser.

At the Dusseldorf exhibition grounds, the leading suppliers will be presenting their products and solutions in many areas including raw materials, auxiliaries, semi-finished products, technical parts, reinforced plastics products, and machinery as well as equipment for the plastics and rubber industry.

Also present at the press conference was Craig Halgreen, Vice President Global Communications, Borouge Pte Ltd.

K 2010 Dusseldorf is the world’s most important contact forum, not just for the entire plastics and rubber industry, but also for visitors from the major user segments. No other trade fair offers such opportunities for experts in the automotive, packaging, electrical engineering, electronics and communications industries, the construction sector, medical technology and aerospace to learn about the latest plastics and rubber applications and experience the technical innovations of a dynamic sector.

89 per cent growth in non-oil exports to Iraq to spurt joint investments into agriculture, manufacturing, banking, transport & infrastructure

February 17, 2010

UAE Minister of Foreign Trade H.E. Sheikha Lubna Bint Khalid Al Qasimi recently participated in the “Investment in Iraq’s Kurdistan” forum held at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi. She was joined by Kurdish Prime Minster Dr. Barham Salih and a number of businessmen and investors from the UAE and Iraq.

In her speech, Her Excellency welcomed the Kurdish economic delegation and underlined the deep brotherly relationship between the UAE and Iraq. She pointed out the mutual support provided by their countries in order to uplift trade and economic ties. She also referred to the appointment of the UAE ambassador in Baghdad, which she said affirmed the UAE’s commitment to strengthening ties with Iraq at all levels, especially in terms of security and the economy.

H.E. Sheikha Lubna also pointed out the significant growth in trade between the UAE and Iraq over the past few years, saying that bilateral exchange increased by 28 per cent between 2006 and 2008 to reach more than USD 3 billion. This, she underscored, proved the effectiveness of government and private sector efforts to enhance trade and economic ties between the two countries. Her Excellency also discussed the significant increase in non-oil exports to the Iraqi market, which rose more than 89 per cent over 2007 to hit USD 358 million in 2008.  She added that re-exports from the UAE to Iraq fell 5.7 per cent but still amounted to a high USD 2.6 billion, despite the global downturn.

The UAE Minister emphasized the need to further enhance exchange and maximize investment prospects as well as leverage incentives such as geographic location, historic bonds and growing economic activities, even if both nations already enjoy excellent bilateral trade channels. She pointed out the importance of efficiently providing key facilities in areas such as taxes and customs to companies from both sides.

Her Excellency further referred to the advantages enjoyed by UAE companies that adopt a culture of world-class quality, reliability, transparency and commitment to swift project implementation, in line with highest international standards. She confirmed that the Emirates is currently directing investments towards Kurdistan, as UAE companies are highly capable of exploring promising investment opportunities and maintaining competitiveness in the regional and international markets. Moreover, she said that Iraq is one of the most important Arab destinations for UAE investments in the near future, as part of the Emirates’ reform plans and agenda of greater economic openness.

Sheikha Lubna commended the economic reforms and expanding openness being witnessed in Kurdistan and throughout Iraq despite numerous challenges and encouraged the continuity of this trend. She explained that this would be in line with international economic efforts to motivate investors and businessmen to sustain their search for opportunities and develop mutual cooperation.

The Trade Minister concluded by underlining the importance of the forum in facilitating the sharing of experiences and best practices, especially from the prominent businessmen and investors attending from both countries.  She expressed her hope in seeing more similar initiatives aimed at highlighting the best mechanisms and tools needed to reinforce mutual cooperation at all levels.

For his part, Dr. Salih also commended efforts from the UAE to support Iraq’s investment environment, calling out for more mutual cooperation in exploring promising sectors such as oil, gas, agriculture, manufacturing, tourism, hospitality, banking, financial services, infrastructure, and construction.

Minister of Economy emphasizes the strength of UAE Economy and Commends ability of Dubai economy to deal with global challenges

• Invites Airbus to leverage country’s potential

Abu Dhabi, February 14, 2010: His Excellency Sultan Bin Saeed Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy, said the UAE economy is strong and offers strong investment opportunities across varied sectors including aviation. He also Commended the ability of Dubai economy to deal with global challenges.

He presented the robust outlook of the national economy at a meeting with the Prime Minister of Bottom Saxony His Excellency Christian Woolf and an accompanying German delegation. He also invited Airbus, which has an operational base in Bottom Saxony, to leverage the capabilities offered by the UAE.

The UAE and the visiting delegation reviewed the strategic relations between Germany and UAE, and the need to strengthen the framework of mutual cooperation across all economic and commercial aspects.

His Excellency Al Mansouri explained the economic developments in the UAE and the country’s ability to achieve sustained growth rates to the delegation. He said that expected inflation in 2010 will not exceed 2 %, reflecting positive results. 

His Excellency Al Mansouri stressed on the government’s vital role and policies in dealing with challenges swiftly.

He said that the tourism sector is witnessing rapid growth as a result of the wise leadership and directives to position UAE as an ideal tourist destination. He also discussed with the German delegation possibilities for cooperation in small and medium enterprises, a sector that has achieved landmark growth in Germany.

His Excellency Christian Woolf said: “The UAE government’s efforts to boost the national economy can be observed through the great achievements and prosperity. We look forward to benefiting from the expertise available here”.

Initiative to promote local products, attract consumer confidence in local industries, support trade & investment opportunities

February 1, 2010

The Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) launched its ‘Made in Sharjah’ program during a press conference held today (Monday, February 1, 2010) at the SCCI headquarters. The program will support industrial establishments and complete a series of initiatives undertaken during the past few years to promote local products and expand Sharjah’s reach to the international markets. The launching was attended by Director General Hussein Mohammed Al Mahmoudi, Yaqoub Yusuf Al Qaseer, Head of SCCI Industrial Development Division and Marwan Salem Hamed, Deputy Head of SCCI Industrial Development Division.

The campaign will highlight nine key focal points related to the development, promotion and advertisement of local products, namely, a ‘Made in Sharjah’ exposition; a label reflecting the slogan; a promotional plan for the permanent expo; promotional video clips; a monthly e-periodical; a dedicated webpage on www.tejari.com, the biggest commercial portal in the Middle East, that will serve as an export guide; a ‘Made in Sharjah’ standards initiative; and a training and development program.

“This unique initiative forms part of 2010 business strategies and plans that focus on the implementation of programs and activities that can significantly enhance Sharjah’s investment environment. This year we aim to highlight growth prospects within the emirate’s business community, support exports, and encourage the youth to start new and promising projects. We also intend to provide technical and consultancy services and funding facilities for our members so that they can strengthen their competitiveness at the regional and international level,” said Al Mahmoudi.

“We would like to thank H.H. Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammad Al Qasimi, Member of the UAE Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, for his full support to our Chamber. He has helped facilitate our services to the business sector, our holding of economic events throughout the emirate, and the development of the civil society in a manner complementing the sustainability policy mandated by the local and federal governments,” he added.

The planned ‘Made in Sharjah’ Expo will be a specialized commercial event that will provide an integrated platform for communication between business organisations and customers. It will target west Asian countries, especially Syria, which received more than AED 18 million worth of Sharjah exports in 2008; eastern and middle African countries such as Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya which received more than AED 155 million during the same year; North African countries, especially Algeria, Libya and Morocco, which received Sharjah exports worth AED 150 million; and east African countries such as Ghana, which received AED 10 million worth of exports from the emirate.

The ‘Made in Sharjah’ label will promote local industries and consumer goods, enhance consumer confidence in local products, and support exports and various investment opportunities to enhance the regional and international economic and investment positions of Sharjah and the UAE in general. The planned media and advertising campaign for the permanent exhibition covering all mass media will focus on the role and importance of the exhibition.

A simple monthly e-periodical to be sent to all members of the permanent exhibition on a quarterly basis is also being planned. The e-periodical will contain information on local, regional and international market conditions as well as services offered by Arab and international funding and credit organizations. A dedicated website, a special e-guide and additional trade visits are also being considered in support of the exhibition. The Chamber has also expressed its willingness to produce a short film titled ‘Made in Sharjah’ with various lengths of between 30 seconds to 5 minutes to be aired in airports, on television, and on public displays.

The ‘Made in Sharjah’ program will include the preparation of an export processing guide under three main phases: distribution of orders to selected factories; classification of small and medium businesses according to priority of export, re-export, and import; and promotion of the guide. The guide will be distributed by the Chamber through various promotional means such as during the visit of delegations and foreign commissions; through SCCI’s cooperation with local and international chambers of commerce; and via the SCCI website.

SCCI further plans to launch a ‘Made in Sharjah’ Standards Initiative in cooperation with the Emirates National Accreditation System (ENAS). Both parties will organize periodical lectures on standards in various fields and grant certificates of appreciation for conformity to the highest standards and enhance the participation of SCCI members in national standards committees.

SCCI will help improve the knowledge and skills of export-sector employees through a training program that will fall under the Sharjah Training and Development Center’s work plan. This program will help participants acquire diplomas or professional degrees as well. The Chamber will also coordinate with training bodies under prominent international authorities such as the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Gulf Organization of Industrial Consulting (GOIC), and United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) for this purpose.

Improving liquidity opens up new investment options

(from the left Mr. Ammar Shatta and from the right Mr. Anthony Habis)

Finance and investment firms throughout the Gulf region are making strategic appointments to take advantage of the regional financial market’s resilience Read the full story

Themed residential development expected for completion by fourth quarter of 2011

Artistic impression of ‘Frankfurt Sports Tower I’ project

Memon Investments, a leading Dubai-based property developer and part of the international business conglomerate, Read the full story

With the aim of exploring trade opportunities in various industry sectors in the UAE and South America, the Embassy of Argentina in the UAE and the Dubai Export Development Corporation (EDC), an agency of the Dubai Department of Economic Development.

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The Foreign Investment Office (FIO), an agency of the Dubai Department of Economic Development (DED), has facilitated the opening of the Middle East regional headquarters of Bayer Group, Read the full story

ELECRAMA-2010 on the cards

Mr. Vimal Mahendru, Vice President, Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturer’s Association (IEEMA)

The UAE’s water and electricity sector is set to attract AED 35 billion ($9.5 billion) worth of investments over the next five years. This has attracted India’s Elecrama, the largest electricity exhibition in the East   to attract  power generating companies from the emirates. Read the full story