MANAMA, 18 January 2008 — Bahrain, a banking and financial center in the Middle East and one of the freest economies in the region, will showcase its excellent investment climate and business opportunities to foreign investors at one of the world’s most distinctive platforms: the World Economic Forum (WEF) 2008 in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 24-27.
Crown Prince Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, who is also chairman of the Economic Development Board, will lead the Kingdom of Bahrain delegation to WEF, it was officially announced by EDB yesterday.
Bahrain will focus its agenda on a number of key issues while at Davos along four key themes.
The first is “a progressive government dedicated to business” where Bahrain will underline its government commitments to ensuring a business-friendly financial, tax, legal and regulatory structure.
The second is “strong economic fundamentals” where Bahrain’s role as the freest and most open economy in the MENA (Middle East-North Africa) region (according to the Wall Street Journal and the Heritage Foundation 2008 Economic Freedom Report) will be raised.
Thirdly, Bahrain will communicate its socially progressive culture, and, lastly, its ideal geographic access for companies interested in the booming MENA market.
Sheikh Salman will speak about “Rebuilding Brand America: Five Suggestions for the Future President” on Jan. 24. Khalid Janahi, chairman of the executive committee of Al-Shamil Bank, will discuss “Understanding Iran’s Ambitions.”