HRH Crown Prince's patronage of IOE Summit hailed

Manama, Oct. 4 (BNA): A number of dignitaries and businesspeople ascertained that the patronage of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister to the First Annual Global Employers’ Summit comes in manifestation to the leadership’s keenness and support to the private sector and the flourish of business in Bahrain. They said the event -which is expected to embrace about 500 participants from Bahrain and overseas- constitutes an invaluable opportunity to promote the business environment of the country and exhibit the true picture of Bahrain. They also lauded the International Organization of Employers (IOE) on selecting Bahrain to host this major event, while expressing optimism of the impact of the event on stimulating growth and development in all sectors. In this regard Labor Ministry's Undersecretary Sabah Al Dosari said: "Bahrain is capable of successfully hosting this major event, due to the fertility of its infrastructure and the skilled national manpower it enjoys". Chairman of the financial and economic affairs committee of the Shura Council Khalid Al Maskati said: "Bahrain has taken long strides in a bid to achieve sustainable growth and development and in implementation to its Economic Vision 2030, selecting Bahrain to host this major event reflects the IOE’s confidence in Bahrain and a proof of the security and stability it enjoys, in addition to its competence in hosting international events". He added "The event will be a platform for the exchange of experiences and will bring about opportunities for both local business owners and their foreign counterparts to meet and discuss business and partnership opportunities". Similarly, MP and Chairman of the financial and economic affairs committee of the parliament Isa Al Kooheji said: "We are very proud that Bahrain was selected to host this major event, and we should seize this opportunity to promote the business environment of the country and attract more foreign investments". From his side, businessman and Shura Council member Darwish Al Mannai said that hosting the First Annual Global Employer’s Summit will put Bahrain’s Market on the world map and encourage the flow of foreign investments. Board member of Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry Afnan Al Zayani said: "Bahrain offers a unique set of advantages and facilities to investors besides the advanced infrastructure, skilled manpower, and the low cost of living. It is an ideal business destination especially with the strategic location it enjoys, the Free Trade Agreement it has with the USA, and the promising ICT, Finance, and Logistics sectors to name a few". She added "The summit, which will attract participants from the east and the west, is a good chance to exhibit the set of features Bahrain enjoy and show the world the potentials this beautiful country has". Speaking on the same, Asian business owner and vice-chairman of the Bahrain Asian Traders Committee (BATC) of Bahrain Chamber Manoj Bhatia said: "As a businessman with various business activities in Bahrain including trading, contracting and manufacturing, I believe the event has a lot of potential to promoting Bahrain and attracting further foreign direct investments, as well as shedding light on its business environment and its advanced infrastructure and the unique location it enjoys as a gateway to the Arabian Gulf and a financial hub which opens to approximately two trillion dollar market". He elaborated "The Summit will discuss key issues including facilitating the free movement of workers in the GCC, which I believe will enhance the transfer of expertise to different sectors such as engineering, IT, education, medical and accelerate economical growth and development". Correspondingly, Shabbir Sharafali an Asian business owner and a member of BATC added "This summit will constitute a platform for employers and employee-related organizations to mull best practices and narrow the information gap between them".