AmCham regional forum set to kick off tomorrow

MANAMA —  The American Chamber of Commerce Bahrain (AmCham Bahrain), hosts of this year’s AmCham MENA Regional Council’s Annual Forum, are set to welcome more than 300 high-level delegates at the two-day Forum starting tomorrow (March 15) at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Among those in attendance will be senior representatives from the US and MENA governments, multilateral financing institutions, private sectors companies and representatives from the US Chamber of Commerce and the MENA Council member AmChams of Abu Dhabi-UAE, Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine and Tunisia. Representatives are also expected from other regional US Business Councils and a broad range of international and regional business associations including those from Saudi Arabia and the Kurdistan region of Iraq. The Forum, which aims to promote the expansion of trade and investment between the markets of the MENA region and the US, will this year focus on SMEs: Unlocking Economic Potential in the MENA Region. A multifaceted program has been devised for the two day Forum. It consists of high-level keynote speeches and panel discussions that address topics including the role of SME’s in economic development in the MENA region, the regional SME ecosystem and a fresh look at thriving techniques and SME financing opportunities and export support programs, among others. The program will importantly also include opportunities for B2B networking on the afternoon of the opening day. While day two of the Forum will see delegates participate in workshops and a Pitch Session, conducted by CH9 with technical cooperation from Microsoft, to ensure that SMEs have the chance to directly engage with potential partners, investors and clients and can learn new strategies and tactics to more swiftly scale up for international trade and business development. The Forum’s opening ceremony will be addressed by the Honorable William Roebuck, US Ambassador to Bahrain, and the US’s top ranking diplomat for the MENA region, Ambassador Stuart E. Jones, Acting US Assistant Secretary at the Bureau for Near Eastern Affairs at the State Department in Washington DC, who will be a keynote speaker. HE Zayed R. Alzayani, Bahrain’s Minister of Industry, Commerce & Tourism will also feature as the keynote speaker for the Forum’s luncheon. Top US and MENA based companies will also be represented across numerous sectors, which include financial services, industry, technology, retail, hospitality, F&B and real estate, among others. Qays H. Zu›bi, President of AmCham Bahrain, said “after much planning and with the strong support and cooperation of our Forum partners and sponsors, we are delighted to soon welcome more than 300 high levels US and MENA government officials and business leaders to the Kingdom of Bahrain. We are proud, as current Chairs of the MENA Council, to have this honor and to be able to support the economy of Bahrain and those across the region in harnessing opportunities for greater economic engagement with the United States. That has been the aim of the MENA Council and this Forum over the past 12 years and we look forward to a productive two days where we help create scenarios to support attendees achieve tangible business results and set the foundations for further growth.” Supporting the event are Strategic Forum Partners: Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), the Ministry of Industry, Commerce & Tourism, Bahrain Economic Development (EDB) and Tamkeen. Other supporters include the US Chamber of Commerce and the MENA Council Secretariat at AmCham Egypt.