THE PEOPLE AT THE HELM OF THE ORGANISATION WHO HELP SET ITS DIRECTION, MOTIVATE AND LEAD BY EXAMPLE ARE DEDICATED AND HARDWORKING BAHRAINIS.
OCCUPYING DIFFERENT, YET COMPLEMENTARY ROLES, THEIR BOLD PURSUIT OF NATIONAL OBJECTIVES POINTS THE EDB TEAMS IN THE RIGHT PATH.
The last year has been particularly productive for the EDB, who have continued implementing His Majesty King Hamad’s programme for national economic development and progress. Bahrain’s strategic position as the 'gateway to the Gulf’ has enabled the Kingdom to continue to attract investment from major international businesses in a variety of sectors, including financial services, manufacturing, logistics and ICT. The EDB has worked tirelessly alongside other government bodies to cultivate and accelerate the achievement of government objectives.
Bahrain’s success is the result of an open society with an international outlook. Our resilient, diversified economy is founded on private sector support and growth. Currently Bahrain’s non-oil economy accounts for close to 80% of GDP. Bahrain is, for instance, widely regarded as a financial services centre for the Gulf with more than four decades of experience; as home to the largest concentration of Islamic financial institutions in the world, Bahrain is therefore well positioned to take the lead in growing this industry around the world.
The work done by the EDB is built upon the economic fundamentals that will continue to see the Kingdom grow. Bahrain was the first country in the Gulf to begin diversifying our economy away from oil and one of the most important drivers of this has been our long-term focus on education and skills. Bahrain now has one of the best-educated workforces in the Gulf. We understand that while the private sector is an engine for national growth and productivity, we cannot thrive without the continuous investment in our people and in their education and training. This has been at the core of the EDB’s efforts. We have also worked hard to develop the legal and regulatory environment necessary to attract leading businesses and have created the freest economy in the Middle East and North Africa according to the Heritage Foundation.
This last year has seen strong growth opportunities for both local and international businesses in Bahrain and the creation of up to 1000 job opportunities in a variety of sectors. As we look to the future we will continue to target investment in the sectors that Bahrain can offer significant advantages and create high value added jobs for Bahrainis.
In 2014, global fluctuations meant that during the course of the year we moved from a mindset built around cautious optimism to one of optimistic caution. However, despite the challenges created by the oil price moving into a downward cycle, the economic outlook for the region remains broadly positive. Governments, including Bahrain's, have spent recent years undertaking vital reforms that have helped to diversify their economies and improve infrastructure. Bahrain's financial position remains robust, with the government taking measured steps to ensure fiscal stability.
The EDB's strategy was relatively consistent during the course of 2014. The organisation remains committed to supporting the ongoing development and diversification of the Kingdom's economy, by building partnerships, increasing awareness of Bahrain's benefits, attracting inward investment, and helping to foster an environment to achieve these goals.
We had an extremely active year and got off to a busy start with a number of events that gave the EDB an opportunity to engage with a range of audiences from key markets across important sectors where Bahrain offers significant strengths, including manufacturing, transport and logistics, and financial services.
The organisation also supported three official international visits by the Kingdom's leadership and participated in almost fifty overseas visits ranging from major roadshows to direct marketing campaigns in target economies. In addition, the EDB was involved in twenty international delegation visits to Bahrain.
Increased understanding of the economy's strengths and opportunities in the region has helped continue to attract foreign direct investment, and in 2014 the EDB oversaw the registration of nearly forty companies. As well as attracting in new businesses, we also continued to work to match local businesses with international partners, and over 140 local site visits with prospective international investors and partners were arranged during the course of the year.
All of these factors contributed to Bahrain achieving economic growth of around 4.5 per cent in 2014, with year-on-year growth in the non-oil sectors of approximately 5 per cent.
I have now worked with the organisation for more than a decade, and I am extremely proud of what it has been able to deliver and achieve. We have helped drive forward vital reforms and played an important role in transforming Bahrain's economy. The Kingdom has led the region in diversification and domestic job creation, and this acts as a vital platform for future development. The EDB will continue to work towards attracting inward investment and creating a supportive business environment, and I look forward to supporting its achievements and successes in the years to come.
NO UNDERSTANDING OF THE EDB AND ITS COURSE AND DEVELOPMENT CAN BE FULLY APPRECIATED WITHOUT AN EXAMINATION OF ITS CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS SINCE ESTABLISHMENT.
We are dedicated to raising living standards by creating greater opportunities for our citizens, and to make Bahrain the Gulf's most welcoming business-friendly location. We will accomplish these goals by working in partnership with the public and private sectors, and by being passionate, professional and innovative in all that we do
To grow and diversify Bahrain's economy by developing a strategy that supports the advancement of a modern and liberalised business environment, encourages inward investment, and enables us to compete in the global marketplace.
With a broad mandate, the different EDB departments and teams build nationwide, sector-specific and international partnerships in order to ensure national objectives are met and exceeded.
The Education, External Affairs and Business Development teams have fostered positive relationships and overseen growth and improvement in their different target fields.
As no national economic growth and enhancement of the lives of Bahrainis is possible without an investment in learning and the
development of critical skills suited to a changing world and market needs, the EDB Education division oversees and reports on public school education in the country in addition to the public and
private training sector and the public and private higher education sector
Throughout 2014, the EDB Education team managed the successful completion of the School Improvement Programme undertaken by the National Authority for Qualifications and Quality Assurance of Education and Training (QAA). The team also administered the implementation of the EDB Employability Agenda, namely the attempt to ensure an alignment between market supply and demand for work skills, and established a strategic plan for the Ministry of Labour. This led to the development of national occupational standards for the different sectors operating in the country, a project completed in collaboration with the Ministry of Labour.
Thus, occupational standards for 125 occupations in six sectors - retail, catering and hospitality, industry, construction, finance and banking, and ICT were developed for mandatory observation by all training providers. Following a phased approach introducing the standards at the degree and diploma levels first, the next stage revolved around the workplace, creating a national system through which people could move between employers and the system. Supported by the introduction of proactive career guidance for youth in public and private schools, the team was successful in embedding occupational standards and vocational qualifications.
In fact, the employability agenda was used alongside the labour market observatory to develop market forecasts and solutions. For example, an employers' survey uncovered that the graduates of one particular university were more highly prized than all the other locally available institutions for tertiary education due to the assumption of a problem-solving approach in academic learning and the important employability skills, such as communication, fostered amongst its students
An important advance made for the education and training sectors in the Kingdom came in the establishment of a new Cabinet committee - the Supreme Council for Education and Training - under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister, Shaikh Mohammed bin Mubarak.
The foremost educational governing body in the country, the QAA, Bahrain Training Institute and the Ministry of Education, are all accountable to the Committee which meets approximately 8 times a year to monitor and evaluate the national education reform programmes. One of its accomplishments during the year was the inclusion of the QAA supervised exam results within the national grade results of public school students.
Although representing only 12.5% of the end of year results, this measure helped ensure that grade inflation in government schools was avoided. An area of personal interest to HRH Prince Salman, Crown Prince and First Deputy Prime Minister, the EDB education team works to develop implementation plans and high level Key Performance Indicators for monitoring the implementation of the education and training reform agendas by the different accountable entities in the Kingdom.
From tie-ups with the Bahrain Ministry of Culture to sports and conference management, the EDB events division of the External Affairs Department focused its efforts during 2014 on the creation of positive experiences for potential investors while pursuing an active policy to support the local community and talent.
Bahrain was consistently presented as a financial and sporting centre in over 44 national and international participations...
For the EDB events team, 2014 opened with participation at the Bahrain International Airshow and Great British Week. These events supported the enhancement of Bahrain's investment relationships. Attended by over 22,000 trade visitors and 120 manufacturing companies from Airbus and Boeing to Gulfstream and Sikorsky Aircraft, the Airshow, held under the patronage of HM King Hamad, witnessed the signing of USD 3 billion worth of deals while Bahrain was promoted as a major logistic hub with access to the USD 1.5 trillion GCC market.
Following in its heels, 250 delegates and exhibitors including the likes of Rolls Royce (Aero), BAE Systems, McLaren Automotive, Bentley, Mini, Aston Martin, Land Rover, Jaguar, Triumph and JCB participated in Great British Week. Similarly, the GCC Financial Forum, a key networking event organised by Euromoney and co-hosted with the EDB, attracted over 400 financiers, investors, policymakers and business leaders from 20 countries representing the wider region, Europe, Asia and North America. Reflecting on economic growth and the relevant sectors in the Kingdom, international keynote speakers included Lord Davies of Abersoch, Chairman of PineBridge Investments; Todd Buchholz, former Director of Economic Policy for the White House, and Managing Director of Tiger Hedge Fund; and Marios Maratheftis, Global Head of Research at Standard Chartered. Additionally, the team supported the MENA Angel Investors Summit which featured more than 25 angel investors and 50 entrepreneurs from the MENA region, Europe and Silicon Valley.
An engagement platform for startup companies and investors, Bahrain was showcased as the regional centre for entrepreneurship and angel investing over the two-day conference. Similarly, considering international opportunities for relationship and investment growth, the EDB played an important role in the Bahrain Pavilion within the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) that took place in the UAE and in which Bahraini ICT companies were enabled to have a presence. A relationship building exercise, several memoranda of understanding were signed.
Digital Middle East Company signed an agreement to provide the Bahraini market with View Sonic Tablets on Android and iOS platforms. Al Nadeem Company signed a joint business agreement with Gateway Group to provide the latter's services and programmes in customer relationship management as well as applications for smartphones and tablets in Bahrain. Likewise, an agreement with Rujul ERP company was cultivated to improve the Bahrain technology sector and create job opportunities, expand the market and improve efficiency by providing advanced services to the Bahraini market. Throughout the year, the events team complemented the work of the EDB in following a proactive sponsorship and participation approach to significant conferences, exhibitions, seminars and sporting events.
Showcasing the country's strength and appeal to international investors, the events team also oversaw the successful alignment with popular sporting activities throughout the year. Representing important networking opportunities as well as potential country promotion to global media and investors, EDB support was also designed to boost the sports tourism appeal of Bahrain. Ventures included the continued sponsorship of the Formula 1 Grand Prix, held in April last year.
A key event in the annual racing calendar in which international and regional visitors are welcomed at the 3-day festival that takes place at the Bahrain International Circuit, more than 500 international media professionals were hosted in the country.
At the same time, the EDB hosted several high level potential international investors, attending the Grand Prix, and facilitated networking opportunities with the domestic business community in support of further foreign direct investment. Other sporting events supported by the EDB included Challenge Bahrain, an international triathlon featuring over 1,000 athletes from 51 participating countries.
The event allowed more than 200 Bahraini youth to compete alongside world champions and Olympians comprising the likes of Australian Mirinda Carfrae, German Sebastian Kienle, Briton Rachel Joyce, Swiss Caroline Stephen and German Jan Frodino. Reinforced by a total prize money of USD 500,000, Bahrain's bid to become the home of the triathlon in the Middle East was considerably strengthened while its image as an exciting sporting hub and the lifestyle choice for foreign investors and potential tourists further improved.
Targeting and attracting foreign direct investment throughout the world in collaboration with the EDB's international network of offices, the Business Development Department has overseen the registration of 39 new companies in the Kingdom during 2014. This includes the likes of BAE Systems International and ASAHI TEC Middle East and is expected to create over 1,000 jobs for the domestic market in the next three years, many of which will be in the manufacturing sector.
At the same time, the Business Development team supported the establishment of five important joint ventures between local companies and their international counterparts. Despite the emphasis on manufacturing, two partnership agreements - Bosch Software Innovations & Kanoo IT and MonParking & T-Linx - were signed in the technology, media and telecommunications sector.
Additionally, the team played a critical role in supporting three official visits by the Kingdom's leadership, with HM King Hamad Bin Isa Al-Khalifa's historic visit to India and Pakistan, and HRH the Crown Prince, First Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the EDB's visit to Russia, in which the EDB played a key role in strengthening economic and business relations between Bahrain and the respective host countries.
These supplemented the 47 overseas participations which ranged from major road shows, including China in October 2014, to direct marketing campaigns in target geographies. The South Korean direct marketing campaign was also notable as ten companies in the technology, media and telecommunications sector were shortlisted for their interest in a Bahrain market presence.
The Business Development team also supported in attracting and facilitating 11 inbound delegation visits, to connect local business with potential foreign counterparts, identifying possible partners, distributors, agents and customers for international businesses in Bahrain. The EDB also facilitated over 140 site visits from prospective international investors in 2014. Over the course of the year, Business Development team members attended 26 conferences and exhibitions including the third largest technology event in the world - GITEX Dubai, which took place in October.
The EDB's participation in the Bahrain Pavilion helped promote the local ICT sector while the engagement with international participants served to attract up to 53 ICT companies to Bahrain. Providing holistic solutions for foreign investors interested in establishing a presence in Bahrain, the Business Development Department continues to play a supportive and proactive role with investors and clients, facilitating their business needs, assisting with aftercare and identifying and supporting expansion plans as well. In 2014 alone, 313 clients were contacted and supported in line with the organisation's customised aftercare programme.
"Today 7,000 Britons work in Bahrain, making it the largest European community of expatriates, and we hope to welcome even more British companies to Bahrain. We are committed to doing what we can to help them to establish their regional operations in the Kingdom", HE Kamal bin Ahmed, Minister of Transportation and Acting Chief Executive of the EDB.
"I am truly appreciative of the invitation made to me to represent Puerto Rico in the MENA Angel Investors Summit 2014.
It was truly a remarkable experience and am sure that we will be doing business together very soon, G. Antonio Sosa-Pascual, REOF Capital, Puerto Rico.
THE DIFFERENT STORIES OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL SUCCESS ARE EXAMINED FROM HR DEVELOPMENT TO JOB CREATION AND MARKETING.
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Underscoring the mission of the EDB to support and further enhance the national economy are its very own cadres of professionals. Overseen by the Corporate Services department whose mission is to create a strong and inspired internal workforce capable of executing the organisation's mission, training and human capital development were ongoing priorities of 2014. In fact, almost all EDB employees underwent some training and development throughout the year.
With a focus on middle management, 82 employees attended corporate training courses in Leadership, Crisis Management, Coaching Skills, Presentation Skills and Creative Decision Making.
Then, in answer to the more specific needs of the organisation and the effective implementation of its mandate, more specialised training programmes in Leadership and Management, Investment Promotion, Protocol, Leveraging Cultural Differences and Strategic Polarities, Enabling Private Sector Growth and attracting FDI, Communication and PR etc were undertaken by 81 employees.
In total, staff committed 4,098.5 training hours to these educational exercises. Yet the HR team of the department continued to invest heavily in the organisation's growth and 18 employees were sent to overseas professional training programmes that ranged from Leadership and Management courses to Media and Marketing training. Additionally, the organisation's HR policy was reviewed during 2014 with significant elements revised for organisational sustainability and improved employee development and relations.
These included the introduction of new occupational standards, a review of academic study opportunities, a review of the staff telephone allowance as well as policies dealing with staff leave and overtime.
The Corporate Services department effectively pursued and implemented its new policies and procedures throughout the year while its investment in staff training and learning represented an organisation-wide success.
The IT division of the Corporate Services department developed a five-year strategic plan in IT (2015-2019) for the organisation's core departments.
Overall 23 initiatives were developed as a result of the four-month study and strategizing exercise which took place.
These included the introduction of an archive system and database, a customer relationship management system, an investor relations portal and a project management system amongst other procedural developmental support structures.
Answering the needs of the Business Development, Corporate Services, Economic Planning and External Affairs departments, the new automation systems and portals introduced were designed to improve efficiency, streamline processes and pursue the department's emphasis on green technology and a paperless environment.
Improving the Kingdom's competitiveness and attracting international investment is a core driver of the EDB and as a result, its Legal Department addresses the legal and regulatory needs of the business community in the country and works to enhance the regulatory infrastructure in line with international best practices. This has led to the drafting of a number of new laws in collaboration with key public entities including the new Trusts Law and the Protected Cells Companies Law, currently under review by the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB).
The draft Trusts Law is particularly notable as, once implemented, will supersede the existing Financial Trusts Law. Introducing a holistic regime for all types of trusts, the new draft law addresses the creation of trusts, duties of trustees, protectors and enforcers as well as termination and the powers of the courts and oversight by the CBB amongst other aspects. Similarly, the Protected Cells Companies draft law, developed exclusively for the financial services industry, introduces a new type of commercial companies for collective investment undertakings, private investment undertakings, securitisation, and captive insurance, in addition to other types of financial services determined by the CBB.
While these draft laws are being considered, the department has overseen the successful introduction of a number of new laws including the Law on Information Technology Crimes, amendments to the Civil Services Law and the Commercial Companies Law as well as Rent Law and Real Estate Development Law (the latter two having been developed by other government departments with the assistance of the EDB).
Thus, for the first time, pursuant to the Law on Information Technology Crimes, special procedural provisions for the investigation and prosecution of cybercrimes have been introduced in the Kingdom while in relation to the amendments to the Commercial Companies Law, many of the restrictions on foreign investors have been removed and minority shareholders are further protected.
In addition, the Legal Department managed the introduction and enactment of further laws impacting the local economy. These included amendments to the Bahrain Chamber for Dispute Resolution Law, Pearls and Precious Gemstones Law and the Penal Code.
These latter laws represent important amendments to previous legal provisions - the first, widening the grounds for appeals at the Court of Cassation and reducing appeal fees; while the second allows the testing of pearls and precious gems to be outsourced to licensed laboratories and private investors; and the third, introducing new provisions to convict those who defraud investors and the public through fictitious investment schemes.
Other approved draft laws referred to Parliament for enactment include a new Investment Limited Partnership Law, a Health Institutions Law, a Pharmacies and Pharmaceutical Institutions Law, Arbitration Law as well as a law on Conflicts of Laws. Seeking to contribute to establishing a more robust private sector for a strong economy, the Health Institutions draft Law and the Pharmacies and Pharmaceutical Institutions draft Law, currently before parliament, are designed to encourage private investment in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors.
Actively working with a diverse array of Bahrain stakeholders and government offices in addition to trade and professional associations, the Legal Department works tirelessly to keep abreast of the changing requirements of the business community and investors.
The Economic Planning and Development department in 2014 restructured its operations around three key focus areas - Strategy and Research; National Competitiveness; and Priority Projects - in order to achieve greater specialization as well as opportunities for people to grow further in their careers. One of the key priority projects of the department was the drafting of the 2015-2018 National Development Strategy (NDS) in collaboration with government stakeholders. This strategy serves as the basis for the Government Programme, which was adopted by Cabinet during the fourth legislative term (2015-2018). The NDS involved a comprehensive assessment of Bahrain's strategic context in terms of opportunities and challenges facing the Kingdom's future development and identified national strategic priorities that will guide Bahrain's sustainable development and inclusive growth over the next four years, in a way that maximises the benefits of its value proposition while recognising its constraints.
Additionally, detailed sector reports on Financial Services and ICT were undertaken in collaboration with the Business Development Department and relevant external stakeholders, including market regulators. The reports involved detailed analysis of the current environment in Bahrain as well as the competitive context and industry dynamics regionally and globally. Both studies drew on a large number of interviews with industry participants, analysts, and investors in and outside of Bahrain. The reports were designed to identify areas of opportunity for Bahrain along with the key enabling conditions that must be put in place through a strategy. Both sectors offer exceptional potential for harnessing Bahrain's unique advantages in the areas of quality regulation and skilled human capital.
The department continues to produce ongoing analysis and publications on the performance of the Bahraini economy. An important step added to our analytical toolkit was the creation of a new macro-econometric model. This mathematical model allows the statistical data to be used for forecasting growth and other variables through an integrated framework. It can also be used to generate scenarios under different assumptions about key variables and allows the impact of different policy changes or external economic shocks to be evaluated.
Similarly, the National Competitiveness unit builds on the department's longstanding effort to monitor international rankings and indices and develops it further. The team established different mechanisms for monitoring Bahrain's relative performance and attractiveness in key areas. It engaged with external stakeholders to build awareness of the importance of competitiveness and ways in which Bahrain's standing can be enhanced. This is an important undertaking for a highly open economy where foreign investment and trade are among the key drivers of economic activity. Detailed focus can help Bahrain protect and further development its key sources of competitiveness. Likewise the Projects Team, established to monitor and coordinate significant national projects in sectors ranging from manufacturing to tourism as well as broader enabling initiatives, has been developing a clear sense of the status of strategic projects in the country, helping resolve any bottlenecks that might delay their timely implementation. Data on projects is also capitalized for investment promotion efforts. Ultimately, this work is designed to enhance the non-oil growth drivers in the economy.
PROFILING THE WORK OF THE EDB AND RAISING AWARENESS OF BOTH ITS TASKS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS REPRESENTS A KEY OBJECTIVE OF THE EXTERNAL AFFAIRS AND MARKETING DEPARTMENTS.
TARGETING DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCES, JOURNALISTS AND MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES AS WELL AS POLICY MAKERS, THINK TANKS AND
INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES, NEWS OF THE EDB AND ITS ASSOCIATED DEVELOPMENTS HAS BEEN WIDESPREAD ACROSS DIGITAL, BROADCAST AND PRINT MEDIA.
Behind the production of 120 press releases during 2014, the National Communications team worked to ensure that both local media and domestic readers were more aware of the role of the EDB in the development of the national economy, leading to the publication of over 600 newspaper articles reflecting on the functions and achievements of the different departments as well as their activities from road shows and business meetings to the creation of a supportive market environment. The ultimate goal of building a better future for Bahrainis was emphasised and reiterated.
At the same time, the official social media channels played a more active role in describing information and engaging with online viewers, complementing the reach of the print media. In fact, during 2014 the number of Instagram and Twitter followers of the EDB channels rose by more than 60%. These efforts were supported by the extensive investment in relationship-building with local media representatives by the National Communications Department. Over 20 meetings with national journalists were held throughout the year, resulting in the development of a more cooperative atmosphere and stronger ties.
Thus, both local national events like the annual Spring of Culture and EDB-organised international road shows received more extensive media interest and coverage last year with front page news of international visits as well as tailored Bahrain Television news reporting, targeting local businesses and industries for improved awareness of opportunities and investment potential. Similarly, the EDB e-newsletter, Tanmiya,
reached a broader cross-section of readers with over 30,000 recipients to date.
The Global Communications team was also very successful with over 340 spokesperson briefings organised and 849 positive articles published in 1st tier international publications. In addition, due to the organisation's emphasis on global presentations and perceptions, at least 99 interviews were arranged during the international road shows to world capitals resulting in 348 published articles. Amongst the most notable road shows last year were those conducted in the Asian powerhouses, India and China.
In fact, the February engagement in India generated 43 positive reviews in the Indian press while the October road show to China spawned an astounding 240 articles and four news broadcasts. These foreign engagements were enhanced by the visit of leading Indian journalists to Bahrain in September and later in December of the same year. Articles appeared in a wide array of titles from the Hindustan Times and the Times of India to the Xinhua News Agency, Economic Observer and China Trade News.
These international messages were supplemented by 88 dedicated press releases issued, 55 trade articles as well as 35 case studies with business leaders such as the State Bank of India, Chinamex and the locally-grown GARMCO, in addition to the development of over 50 speeches and talking points for EDB spokespersons and third party speakers. Active both abroad and locally, having hosted 47 international journalists in the Kingdom, the Global Communications team represented an indispensible cornerstone for the realisation of the organisation's international mandate.
In line with the EDB's emphasis on human capital and talent development, the communications teams have invested extensive time and effort into both internal training opportunities and external support.
Regular media training sessions were conducted for spokespeople representing the country, from the members of the EDB Board to representatives of the Central Bank of Bahrain, local governors and internal members of the Business Development department. These often catered to particular events and road shows.
In addition, reflecting on the importance of internal growth and knowledge acquisition, the marketing team diligently ensured that all external contracts with international suppliers included team training opportunities.
These workshops hosted by the EDB allowed Bahrainis exclusive access to some of the biggest global developers in the industry, from Performics and M&C Saatchi to Zenith Optimedia as they sought to clearly and effectively communicate the prospect for international businesses to thrive in the Kingdom including its key business and lifestyle offerings.
A productive year for the marketing division, during 2014 the Business Friendly Bahrain brand was revamped and relaunched to international audiences, appearing in television advertising and within promotional activities at key conferences and events.
Potential investors, leaders and businesses were targeted by the strategic campaign developed in which Business Friendly Bahrain was strongly positioned on CNN International for the business viewer and traveller. This began with the EDB sponsorship of the World Economic Forum in Davos between 13th January and 4th February, which included sponsorship of CNN coverage of the event.
An astounding success, 90% of the CNN International audience recalled seeing at least one of the 1,098 commercial spots, broadcast across the Asia, South Asia and EMEA feeds during this period, finding them both engaging and relevant. Also aligned with CNN International's Best of Quest, the brand was presented on a weekly basis while it was also associated with Richard Quest's Reading for Leading and the Vignettes Series between February and December 2014, being aired 1,657 times.
In this way, Bahrain and its message of economic ease and success was affiliated with important and popular programming for world viewers and prospective investors. This was supplemented by tailored broadcast messages which highlighted key competitive advantages for foreign businesses in line with the brand - logistical opportunities, low operating costs and a liberal business environment.
Simultaneously, the marketing team sought audiences across the world in an online campaign that coincided with Davos and which saw advertisements featured on CNN International, CNN.com and CNN Arabic reaching a total 5,591,020 impressions while the yearlong Run Of Site online advertising campaign on CNN International with a strong presence on the CNN Money section broadcast 8,709,334 impressions in total.
At the same time, regional investors and businesses were targeted through a dedicated Arabic-language campaign that featured television advertising on Al Arabiya as well as print advertising in Arabic-language international newspapers, Al Hayat and Asharq Al Awsat. The television campaign, which aired on rotation in Al Arabiya and MBC, involved three 45-second commercials placed during prime time reaching the widest possible pan-Arab audience. Rolled out in two stages, 447 spots were aired between April and December.
The coinciding print campaign saw the placement of three consecutive advertisements at a time, reaching a total of 30 advertisements across both stages of the promotional drive, with each three combined creative advertisements presenting a complementary story. The ‘We meet in Bahrain' campaign reinforced the message of the country as a business-friendly destination, but also portrayed its tourism advantages, depicting its familial environment, hospitality and comfort.
Designed to recapture the trust of GCC nationals in Bahrain, the campaign was innovative and compelling. These efforts were complemented by a five-minute country film that was produced to support business development roadshows, conferences and events. In addition to this primary film, three shorter versions were developed focusing on some of the country's value propositions, namely its skilled workforce, financial services and lifestyle.
Addressing the question: what is Bahrain like, it featured interviews with both Bahraini citizens and expatriates from leading international companies such as HSBC, Deloitte, Julius & Baer and SULB as well as from local companies such as Batelco and prominent schools like St Christopher's and Ibn Khuldoon National School and depicted the image of a preferred destination for foreign direct investment and living. As the marketing collaterals were considerably expanded during the year, businesses and prospective investors were further targeted through the development and circulation of an interactive e-newsletter, The Bahrain List, to over 3000 subscribers.
Featuring a broad range of articles, from business roundups to news and lifestyle stories, the newsletter also addresses the global C-Suite reader.
'I can understand why Bahrain is a financial services hub. It has been since the 1970s. It's got a very strong regulatory environment. It's conveniently located and the Bahrainis are very well-trained,' Matthew Deakin, CEO of HSBC Middle East.
'We ship to anywhere in the world. The Khalifa bin Salman Port is situated in a very strategic position. It has the shortest transit anywhere from airport to seaport to causeway,' Yasser Saeed, Planning Executor, Khalifa bin Salman Port.
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