It gives me great pleasure to reflect on the work of the Economic Development Board (EDB) throughout 2012 and 2013 as the head of a dynamic team of individuals whose varying focuses and skills have helped the organization work towards its objectives. In the last two years, this hardworking team has been responsible for our accomplishments, which all aim to create a modern economy designed to sustain the local populace.

Through our investment promotion efforts and our engagement with stakeholders in key markets, we have been successful in the establishment of more than 70 foreign companies in the Kingdom over the last two years, thus creating over 1,700 new jobs. Moreover, our determination to involve the Bahrain private sector in direct talks with their international counterparts has been most fruitful as a number of joint ventures and cooperation agreements have developed. Several industry conferences were organized by the EDB, which included the Euromoney Conferences, brought to the GCC for the first time in 2012. Our reports, such as the Bahrain Economic Quarterly and Bahrain Economic Yearbook, provide useful overviews and analyses for partners in both the public and private sectors.

Of course, the EDB continues to actively support all Ministries and Authorities in Bahrain, and our team has been working closely with the Ministries of Education and Labour during this period. We have been working with our partners to improve the performance of schools in the Kingdom, as well as developing employability skills. As a result, over 70% of the initiatives outlined in the Bahrain School Agenda we published in 2012 are in the process of implementation and completion, while the Employability Agenda published in 2013 is now being realized. These efforts all aim to serve the purpose of making Bahraini's the employers of choice, and building a knowledge-based economy.

Internally, we invested in our employees, and provided them a total of 8,359 hours of training between 2012 and 2013. We have also worked to ensure equality of opportunity is guaranteed at the EDB, establishing an Equal Opportunity Committee and holding a range of seminars designed to address the needs and concerns of our female employees. Mirroring our championship of the overarching Bahrain economy, our internal focus has been met with considerable appreciation.

Through our promotional efforts abroad and our work at home, we will continue to support economic diversification and help enable the people of Bahrain, thus enhancing the Kingdom's economy. By enhancing the national economy and creating high value-added jobs, the EDB will continue to empower Bahrain - nurture a competitive business environment, attract international companies and investments and create high quality jobs. We look forward to building on the success we have achieved in 2012 and 2013 even further.