Tamkeen’s Chairman Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa, who on Monday opened the first Tamkeen Conference and Exhibition at the Gulf Hotel, underlined the steps taken by the EDB and Tamkeen to bolster the competitiveness of the private sector.
Tamkeen expo which attracted 700 business leaders and entrepreneurs is seen as the major success story of labour reforms and empowering the Bahrainis as part of one of the cornerstones of the economic reforms.
The two-day event is part of Tamkeen’s efforts to support private sector enterprises and develop the skills of Bahraini citizens to make them the employees of choice.
Tamkeen Expo 2013 consists of a conference, exhibition, and a series of workshops aimed at providing a knowledge-sharing platform for entrepreneurs in particular and the private sector in general and enabling the general public to learn about Tamkeen’s various support programmes through the participation of entrepreneurs who have already benefited from these programmes.
He highlighted the extensive efforts that the Tamkeen team takes to design various programmes to develop the capacity of Bahraini enterprises and individuals in line with the labour market requirements.
He also said Tamkeen’s efforts in advocating business concepts such as microfinance, SME funding, entrepreneurship, continuous individual training, women economic empowerment, employment support, and best management practices.
“The aim is to build a prosperous and diversified economy by all Bahrainis in accordance with Bahrain’s Economic Vision,” he said.
“Through its initiatives, Tamkeen helps accomplish a series of national missions to serve the coming Bahraini generations. These initiatives set specific goals and offer realistic and innovative solutions to fulfill the aspirations and ambitions of the Bahraini people. Tamkeen’s success, therefore, is linked to the success of our citizens and our kingdom as a whole. This is the criterion against which we judge our success in accomplishing our missions, and this dictates that we provide every Bahraini with the tools that he/she needs to reach his/her potential.”
More than 66,000 Bahraini individuals and enterprises in Bahrain have benefited from Tamkeen programmes to date, and the total number is expected to rise to more than 100,000.