The forum was co-organized by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Bahrain in cooperation with the Lebanese International Businessmen Associations’ Network, Federation of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in Lebanon, the General Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture in the Arab countries, the EcoleSupérieure des Affaires, the Investment and Development Authority of Lebanon, the Capital Business and CNN.
The Forum has been marked by its huge success, whereby over 500participants from 52 countries comprising of entrepreneurs, NGOs, financial and educational institutions, regional and international developmental organizations and investment promotion representatives from have taken part in this event.
“The role of UNIDO in the forum was instrumental as it has had facilitated through a grant received from the Islamic Development Bank the participation of 61 entrepreneurs, experts and entrepreneurship support institutions from seventeen Arab and African countries namely Bahrain, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Egypt, Sudan, Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Libya, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Mozambique, and Cote d’Ivoire,” Dr Hashim Hussein, Head of UNIDO Bahrain, said.
YoshiteruUramoto, Deputy Director General UNIDO and Shaikh Ebrahim Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Chairman ARCEIT board of trustees provided opening remarks to the forum.
A UNIDO interactive session on the “Role of UNIDO programs in youth employment: best practices on economic empowerment support programs for youth” was organized by ITPO Bahrain and chaired by Lamine Dhaoui. A number of high ranking officials and supporters of our office have taken part in this session namely Afnan Zayani, president Businesswomen Network for MENA; Dr. Abdul Rahman Ali Taha, General Manager of IDB, the Islamic Development Bank (Islamic Corporation for the Insurance of Investment and Export Credit; Dr. Abdul Al Najjar, President Arab Science and Technology Foundation;
Dr. Abdul Rahim Naqi, Secretary General, Federation of GCC Chambers and Dr. Hashim Hussein, Head of UNIDO ITPO/ARCEIT Bahrain.
Huda Janahi, UNIDO Leader entrepreneur, has been awarded an achievement award for her success in develop a micro business into a multi-million dollar business.
Afnan Zayani, President of the Businesswomen Network (BWN) for the Middle East has also been awarded for her long work in women economic empowerment, it is worth nothing that she has always been a good supporter of UNIDO and we have provided her with extensive support in developing the BWN.
The four EDIP centers currently operational in Lebanon through the funding of the Italian Government have been widely promoted especially that NesrineKasty, EDIP Centers Coordinator for Lebanon, took part in the panel discussion on “Doing Business in Lebanon”. Thus the effective role of the EDIP centers has been presented through the facilitation of domestic investment for leveraging foreign direct investment.
Five hundred B2B business meetings where organized linking entrepreneurs with their counterparts and financial institutions from various regions and countries.