The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) through its Arab Regional Centre for Entrepreneurship and Investment Training in Bahrain yesterday announced that it had successfully completed the transfer of the Bahrain Arab Model for Entrepreneurship Development to China.
"Our team of UNIDO Bahrain experts was in China where they have conducted a special capacity building programme aimed at equipping seventeen Chinese professionals to develop and implement the model," the Head of UNIDO Bahrain Dr Hashim Hussein said.
"The programme was attended by representatives from various institutions namely; universities, development organisations, association of incubators and the World Eminence Chinese Businessmen Association (WECBA)," he said.
"The intensive training programme has resulted in the development of a national Chinese strategy aimed at stimulating entrepreneurship; initially in ten provinces and will be later expanded to thirty one provinces and regions of China," he added.
"This step marks the launch of the Bahrain Arab Model in China through the provision of financial and nonfinancial services to potential Chinese entrepreneurs as the first stage and linking it with the existing 600 business incubators currently managed by our partner WECBA," he said.
The implementation of the Bahrain-Arab Model has been initiated last year through UNIDO's strategic partnership with the China South, South Industrial Cooperation Centre and World Eminence Chinese Businessmen Association that has among its members the top 500 Chinese entrepreneurs.
"Bahrain is set to become a regional headquarters for China's major initiative called Smart Building Centre, a concept aimed at providing affordable housing projects," Dr Hashim added.
"The Chinese move to help Bahrain in establishing the Centre is seen as a step forward for Bahrain's major multi-billion dollar housing initiative aimed at providing affordable houses to mid-to-low income families.
The Smart Building Centre aims at providing the latest technologies in the field of developing low-income housing projects that consume less energy and utilise environmentallyfriendly building material," a statement issued by UNIDO said.
"The Minister of Housing's visit had resulted in a mutual cooperation in various fields that will yield benefits to both countries especially in the areas of housing projects, smart buildings technology transfer and entrepreneurship development," Dr Hashim said.
"The Smart Building Center in Bahrain will be a unique and innovative in the sense that will add value to the development initiatives undergoing in Bahrain; which will undoubtedly position Bahrain once again as a disseminator of knowledge and know-how as the case with the Bahrain Arab Model," added said Dr Hashim.
The Chinese delegation during their visit last year discussed the final steps for the establishment of the eleven "China Enterprise Development Centres" in various regions of China based on the UNIDO Bahrain-Arab Model.
"The establishment of these centres; the Smart Building in Bahrain and the Center for Enterprise Development in China fall in line with the drive of both countries to meet the Millennium Development Goals and will create a platform for joint programs and partnerships between entrepreneurs and SMEs of both countries and at a later stage the Arab World," added Dr Hashim.
"Hence time creating stronger linkages between both countries on different levels to boost trade and investments. Especially at a time were reports indicate that China ranks second in the world with regards to economic growth and currently is the leading trading partner with most of the countries despite the economic down turn," Dr Hashim said.
By Mahmood Rafique
© Bahrain Tribune 2010
