On the second day of a business tour to the United States, a Bahraini delegation led by the Economic Development Board (EDB) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Long Beach City in California. The MoU aims to increase the bilateral trade exchange between Bahrain and Long Beach, establish joint industrial projects, and set-up partnerships in the logistics, consultancy, technical and food sectors.
The MoU was signed by Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al-Khalifa, the Chief Executive of the EDB, and by Bob Foster, Long Beach Mayor.
During the signing ceremony, Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al-Khalifa highlighted the important role by the private sectors in both Bahrain and Long Beach to put the MoU into action. He signalled to the importance of Long Beach port in the international trade, being the second busiest sea port through which goods worth $140 billion is transported. Shaikh Mohammed also said that Bahrain has made a big progress by establishing Khalifa Bin Salman port which is now ranked the world’s 30th.
Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, in association with the Long Beach Port Authority, hosted a discussion session in which Shaikh Mohammed and Ambassador Houda Nonoo also took part. Other Bahraini participants were Hamed AlZayani, Samer AlJishi and Mazin Aziziyah, in the presence of Mayor Bob Foster and senior officials from the private sector in the city. The Bahraini participants spoke about the developments in the region and Bahrain, showcasing the investment environment in the Kingdom, and the opportunities it provides to the international investors. They also shed light on recent developments in Bahrain and the actions taken by the Kingdom to safeguard its growth record.
The programme on the second day also included multiple one-on-one meetings between the members of the Bahraini delegation and key corporations in the industrial and services sectors in Long Beach.
Long Beach was the second foot in the visit which was preceded with a visit to Los Angeles. The delegation will also visit Minneapolis-St. Paul. Taking part in the visit is the private sector represented by the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The objective of the road show, which started on the 3rd of October, is to attract industrial and commercial investments to the Kingdom from a number of US cities, with an ultimate target of creating more rewarding jobs for Bahrainis.