30 August 2006
Bahrain has excelled in establishing the best model for the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with a success rate rising to 80 per cent compared with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation's 25 per cent worldwide, UNIDO head in Bahrain Dr Hasim Hussain in an interview told Bahrain Tribune.
Dr Hashim said that the total 261 SMEs have been established through the active support provided by UNIDO-ITPO/ARCEIT Bahrain out of which 211 are operational in the Kingdom while 50 projects are set up within the Arab region.
The Kingdom will showcase the Bahrain Model of Enterprise Development pioneered by the UNIDO at a regional conference titled Sino-Arabian SMEs Business Co-operation Initiatives to be held from September 11 to 14 in Xiamen and Shanghai China.
The 25-member strong delegation of entrepreneurs, investors and bankers from Bahrain will be led by Undersecretary Ministry of Finance Shaikh Ebrahim bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, who is also Chairman of the Bahraini Development Bank. The BDB is the main institution providing financial and technical support to Bahrain Incubator Projects.
Dr Hasim said that Bahrain's entrepreneurship development and enterprise creation programme (EDP) has been successfully implemented in 13 Arab countries, Uruguay in Latin America and now the model would be presented in China.
"China has been our target market and UNIDO has strived hard to make it possible for Bahraini entrepreneurs to share expertise with their prospective Chinese counterparts. We had signed an agreement with Chinese side for a possible co-operation in SMEs and how both countries' entrepreneurs can work together in this vital segment of the global economy. Bahraini and Chinese sides agreed to cooperate with UNIDO network to assist the industrial development and economic growth between China and Arabian countries by identifying and mobilising the technical, financial, managerial and other resources required for the implementation of specific industrial investment and technology projects in these countries with the help of local partners."
"In addition to the conference deliberations, the delegation members will have the opportunity to meet the Chinese side during one-to-one meetings organised by the UNIDO Investment and Technology Promotion Office in Shanghai."
"Due to the high success rate three regional UNIDO centres Saudia Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Jordan and UNIDO Uruguay have taken steps to replicate the Bahrain model for training their entrepreneurs.
"There are three integral elements for the Bahraini model: cash investment, technology and opening up the market channels. In addition to stimulating the domestic investments, the UNIDO has also helped to attract the inward investments in all vital sectors of the Kingdom. The Kingdom was at the top in the Arab world with attracting over $900 million foreign investments in the year 2005 alone. We can also see a huge opening in the Thai market as Bahrain's model would be taken there as part of strategic move of the Kingdom."
Dr Hashim said that recently aworking agreement had been signed between the Arab Gulf Programme for United Nations Development Organisations (AGFUND) headed by Prince Talal bin Abdul Aziz and the Arab Regional Centre for Entrepreneurship and Investment Training (ARCEIT). "Under this agreement the AGFUND will provide all possible financial support to ARCEIT to enhance the scope of SMEs."
"The Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank (IDB) had signed MoU with UNIDO Bahrain. The agreement will envisage the co-operation between the organizations for encouraging the increase of investment flows both foreign and domestic in addition to further facilitate technology transfers to all 54 IDB member countries."
Bahrain has excelled in establishing the best model for the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with a success rate rising to 80 per cent compared with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation's 25 per cent worldwide, UNIDO head in Bahrain Dr Hasim Hussain in an interview told Bahrain Tribune.
Dr Hashim said that the total 261 SMEs have been established through the active support provided by UNIDO-ITPO/ARCEIT Bahrain out of which 211 are operational in the Kingdom while 50 projects are set up within the Arab region.
The Kingdom will showcase the Bahrain Model of Enterprise Development pioneered by the UNIDO at a regional conference titled Sino-Arabian SMEs Business Co-operation Initiatives to be held from September 11 to 14 in Xiamen and Shanghai China.
The 25-member strong delegation of entrepreneurs, investors and bankers from Bahrain will be led by Undersecretary Ministry of Finance Shaikh Ebrahim bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, who is also Chairman of the Bahraini Development Bank. The BDB is the main institution providing financial and technical support to Bahrain Incubator Projects.
Dr Hasim said that Bahrain's entrepreneurship development and enterprise creation programme (EDP) has been successfully implemented in 13 Arab countries, Uruguay in Latin America and now the model would be presented in China.
"China has been our target market and UNIDO has strived hard to make it possible for Bahraini entrepreneurs to share expertise with their prospective Chinese counterparts. We had signed an agreement with Chinese side for a possible co-operation in SMEs and how both countries' entrepreneurs can work together in this vital segment of the global economy. Bahraini and Chinese sides agreed to cooperate with UNIDO network to assist the industrial development and economic growth between China and Arabian countries by identifying and mobilising the technical, financial, managerial and other resources required for the implementation of specific industrial investment and technology projects in these countries with the help of local partners."
"In addition to the conference deliberations, the delegation members will have the opportunity to meet the Chinese side during one-to-one meetings organised by the UNIDO Investment and Technology Promotion Office in Shanghai."
"Due to the high success rate three regional UNIDO centres Saudia Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Jordan and UNIDO Uruguay have taken steps to replicate the Bahrain model for training their entrepreneurs.
"There are three integral elements for the Bahraini model: cash investment, technology and opening up the market channels. In addition to stimulating the domestic investments, the UNIDO has also helped to attract the inward investments in all vital sectors of the Kingdom. The Kingdom was at the top in the Arab world with attracting over $900 million foreign investments in the year 2005 alone. We can also see a huge opening in the Thai market as Bahrain's model would be taken there as part of strategic move of the Kingdom."
Dr Hashim said that recently aworking agreement had been signed between the Arab Gulf Programme for United Nations Development Organisations (AGFUND) headed by Prince Talal bin Abdul Aziz and the Arab Regional Centre for Entrepreneurship and Investment Training (ARCEIT). "Under this agreement the AGFUND will provide all possible financial support to ARCEIT to enhance the scope of SMEs."
"The Jeddah-based Islamic Development Bank (IDB) had signed MoU with UNIDO Bahrain. The agreement will envisage the co-operation between the organizations for encouraging the increase of investment flows both foreign and domestic in addition to further facilitate technology transfers to all 54 IDB member countries."
By Mehmood Rafique Business Correspondent
© Bahrain Tribune 2006
