we had 68% of all employees participate in corporate and specialised sessions - the equivalent of 4,537 hours of training


68 %

in our attempt to recognise outstanding achievers, a star recognition programme was created, reinforcing leadership values and behaviour amongst the EDB team

To date, more than 70% of these initiatives are being implemented and are on track for completion.


70 %

the 45 minute extension of the school day in secondary schools, increasing instruction time from 635 hours per year to approximately 1000 hours per year,

the collaboration oversaw the creation of National Occupational Standards (occupational standards for 125 occupations in six sectors

These first-of-their-kind initiatives for the EDB were particularly successful as it was estimated that 1,600 participantsjoined

over 1,500 jobs are expected to be created in the local market over the course of three years in financial services, professional services, healthcare, logistics and other sectors

reinforcing the PR departments of all government and semi-government entities, we held a Government Communicators Forum, attended by 95 public sector employees


95

we worked to enhance the knowledge of young adults about the role of the EDB and impact of Vision 2030

in the equalisation of opportunity and ensuring female satisfaction in the workplace led our team to hold specific presentations on women's legislation in the Kingdom, breast cancer and equal opportunity.

an online newsroom; an Android application first released in 2012; an official presence on Twitter and Instagram; while accounts on Facebook and YouTube focus on Vision 2030, our department releases online newsletters on a quarterly basis, circulating these amongst 20,000 Bahrain stakeholders.

our belief in the importance of SMEs and entrepreneurship for domestic and economic growth has helped nurture an environment of support and learning for both existing and new SMEs.

programme between 2012 and 2013 to help train 30 Bahraini graduates and future leaders through an innovative work experience plan designed to jumpstart their careers.


30

our focus on an information technology-driven environment, from online transactions and authorisations to a paperless workflow

Corporate Services team worked extensively over the last two years to support and enable the EDB as an organisation

The legal team is actively engaged in helping to resolve legal issues faced by investors in Bahrain. Members of the team are also regular and principal contributors to EDB's initiated business related reform projects.

Investing in our people

Services Department. In 2012 our training programmes were designed to nurture and develop our talent, whereby we had 68% of all employees participate in corporate and specialised sessions - the equivalent of 4,537 hours of training. In 2013, 70% of all employees underwent training, amounting to 3,822 hours of development. Moreover, we have been working to integrate the needs of women, within the EDB, and ensuring that equal opportunities are guaranteed through the establishment of our internal Equal Opportunity Committee. In addition, the human resources team designed a strategic plan in 2013 for further improvement as well as automation of relevant HR related workflows, for efficiency, recording purposes, easy access, and to fulfil our aim of having a paper-less environment while the Information Technology team developed a 'Do-IT-Yourself' portal for staff, providing them with the resources - FAQs, How To videos and Tips - for seamless learning.

Building future leaders

Focusing on middle management, 18 employees attended the Invictus Leadership Programme in Jordan and India. This was a very helpful and beneficial programme, as it included a variety of tasks which encouraged teamwork, empathy and leadership. Together, participants were drawn to a reflection on roles and tasks in order to appreciate the impact of different contributions, ownership, accountability and collaboration on work output, and they were encouraged to believe in possibilities and overcome their fears. Similarly, in our attempt to recognise outstanding achievers, a star recognition programme was created, reinforcing leadership values and behaviour amongst the EDB team. Accordingly, between 2012 and 2013, the EDB recognised 24 'Stars.'

Human capital development

Answering future economic needs and growth is premised on strategic education reform and human capital development. It is here that the EDB contribution to long term national development is most important. Our dedicated Education & Human Capital Development department has been working with the Ministry of Education in this regard - supporting its capacity building efforts; developing a cross-agency strategy for wider integration amongst the key stakeholders in the education and training sectors; and enhancing key skills for improved employability. In 2012, the EDB published the Bahrain School Agenda, a strategic roadmap for public schools with over 80 initiatives designed to raise the performance of local schools. To date, more than 70% of these initiatives are being implemented and are on track for completion.

Schools' improvement

As a result of the educational reform programme spearheaded by the EDB, today there are twice as many outstanding schools, compared with the end of the first cycle of reviews conducted by the Quality Assurance and Education Training Authority (QAEET) in 2011. Improvements have been marked in all fields from leadership and management (46%) to care and guidance (46%), curriculum (47%), teaching and learning (36%) and academic achievement (34%). Further progress is expected following the 2013 implementation of the Bahrain Numeracy Strategy in all primary schools. At the same time, the 45 minute extension of the school day in secondary schools, increasing instruction time from 635 hours per year to approximately 1000 hours per year, is expected to support further educational improvement both in terms of quality, and student attainment.

Enhancing student employability

Looking to the skills that support students and graduates in the marketplace and enabling them to meet the economic and social challenges of the 21st Century, the EDB published the Employability Agenda in 2013. Collaborating with the Ministry of Labour, a number of initiatives were launched in order to further the programme set forth by the Agenda - a strategic document setting out tailored plans designed to balance the supply and demand of education vis-à-vis employment and the enhancement of the skills and abilities of young Bahrainis competing in a diversified economy. Beginning with the Project Management Office (established to coordinate and manage the projects), the collaboration oversaw the creation of National Occupational Standards (occupational standards for 125 occupations in six sectors - retail, catering and hospitality, industry, construction, finance and banking, and ICT) and the development of the National Career Guidance Strategy (designed to allow intelligent decision making in line with the needs of young people and the economy).

Youth empowerment

Furthering the cultural and educational programme of the annual Spring of Culture organized and sponsored by the EDB, in 2013, we actively sought school students' participation in the interactive festival programme. We partnered with the Ministry of Education to promote youth learning through a series of dedicated activities including performing arts and photography workshops led by Egyptian artist and trainer, Mohammed Al Ghawi, and Bahraini photographer, GhadaKhonji. Likewise, over 1,200 youths - public school students and members of social organisations responsible for underprivileged children -were invited to exclusive viewings of youngsters'edutainment shows.These first-of-their-kind initiatives for the EDB were particularly successful as it was estimated that 1,600 participantsjoined the broad range of workshops and public learning opportunities organized for the eighth edition of the Spring of Culture.

Job creation

Our Business Development teams have worked consistently to attract foreign companies to the Kingdom. As a result of the companies established between 2012 and 2013 with the support of EDB, over 1,500 jobs are expected to be created in the local market over the course of three years in financial services, professional services, healthcare, logistics and other sectors. Companies set up with the support of our Business Development teams include Galitt Middle East Consultancy, CIGNA- SAICO, Serco Consulting Bahrain, BESIX Park, Reckitt Benckiser, Altaira Wealth Management, AMP Capital Investors, Canara Bank, Karvy Computershare, PineBridge Investments.

Supporting government capacity building

As an extension of the broader government framework within the Kingdom of Bahrain, our National Communications department has actively engaged in capacity building measures for public sector employees. Partnering with the Bahrain Institute of Public Administration, BIPA, in 2012, our team managed an 18-month long course in Advanced PR which was attended by 40 public servants. Similarly, further reinforcing the PR departments of all government and semi-government entities, we held a Government Communicators Forum, attended by 95 public sector employees. These knowledge-developing arenas for learning were designed to foster an environment of exchange and the enhancement of competencies in communications and public relations amongst the participants - an integral aspect of the work of our department.

Raising awareness

While the development of local cadres remains an emphasis for the National Communications team, we continued to actively raise awareness of Economic Vision 2030 and its implications in addition to profiling the work of the EDB for local stakeholders and the nation at large. Thus, in 2012, we partnered with the University of Bahrain and participated in a law symposium attended by over 1300 students. Here, we worked to enhance the knowledge of young adults about the role of the EDB and impact of Vision 2030 for their lives and future. Other outreach included presentations at government schools as well as participations in the BIPA Induction Programme, catering for new civil servants and middle management. These programmes took place over 10 times between 2012 and 2013 with the number of participants ranging from 20 to over 50 at any one time.

Answering staff needs

In order to ensure adherence to equal opportunities across the EDB, a study and review of HR policies was conducted in collaboration with our Legal department and published on the intranet for our employees. In addition, a broad range of staff presentations catering to healthy living, disease prevention, exercise and the Pension Fund services and saving schemes, amongst other notable sessions, were held between 2012 and 2013; these included presentations on women and sports by Bahrain Olympian, Ruqaya Al Ghasra as well as a diet and body detoxing session with established nutritionist, Alia Almoayyed, and a yoga session conducted by representatives from Bahrain Art of Living. While many of these awareness-building seminars reflected on common issues and contemporary lifestyles, the interest in the equalisation of opportunity and ensuring female satisfaction in the workplace led our team to hold specific presentations on women's legislation in the Kingdom, breast cancer and equal opportunity.

News dissemination

No public communications exercise to reflect the EDB's initiatives, national interest and projects could be successful without substantial media engagement and it is here that much news is shared and stakeholder interest maintained. During 2012, 88 press releases were circulated by the National Communications team while in 2013, 100 press releases were circulated to domestic outlets. These have had a wide ranging impact as in 2013 alone, our press releases were published 1,116 times in national media outlets - equivalent to 290 full pages of newspaper coverage with a total value of BD917,956 and a circulation of 10,809,000. Likewise, in addition to our active position within the electronic media world - an online newsroom; an Android application first released in 2012; an official presence on Twitter and Instagram; while accounts on Facebook and YouTube focus on Vision 2030, our department releases online newsletters on a quarterly basis, circulating these amongst 20,000 Bahrain stakeholders.

Boosting local entrepreneurship

No economic contribution can be worthwhile without an investment in local entrepreneurs and raising economic awareness. Consequently, our Economic Planning & Development department has been actively engaging Bahrain audiences through dedicated public events, media reviews in local newspapers and conference participations. Our quarterly seminars held in conjunction with the Bahrain Institute of Banking and Finance (BIBF) have been successful in raising awareness of economic issues. Our topical roundtables and workshops have developed our stakeholder relationships while also informing the public about economists' understandings of progress and market development. Alongside our active involvement with key stakeholders in the national SMEs Coordination Committee under the chairmanship of the Ministry of Industry & Commerce, our belief in the importance of SMEs and entrepreneurship for domestic and economic growth has helped nurture an environment of support and learning for both existing and new SMEs.

Corporate Social Responsibility

In line with our interest in domestic support and growth, the EDB partnered with the Bahrain Association for Parents and Friends of the Disabled. We followed an innovative approach which combined our environmental concern with assistance. By maintaining a continuous donation of used plastic bottles, approximately 60 wheelchairs were purchased and provided for the needy in 2013 through our contribution alone. At the same time, our human resources team implemented an 'Intern to Success' programme between 2012 and 2013 to help train 30Bahraini graduates and future leaders through an innovative work experience plan designed to jumpstart their careers.

Environmental contribution

As the backbone of the EDB in terms of efficiency, support services and operations, the Corporate Services Department has effectively transformed the organisation into a largely paperless and green environment between 2012 and 2013. This was extended to external interactions as well with the introduction of an automated electronic system for Tender Board correspondence, reducing human error and operational time, as well as the establishment of an international online ticketing system to support Bahrain Spring of Culture ticket sales in 2014. Underpinning our work has been our philosophy that 'excellence is the gradual result of always striving to do better.' As a result, our focus on an information technology-driven environment, from online transactions and authorisations to a paperless workflow, has helped us support the organisation more efficiently.

Corporate leadership

Internally, our Corporate Services team worked extensively over the last two years to support and enable the EDB as an organisation. The backbone of our many different departments through their efficiency-building measures, the Corporate Services team revised the Purchasing and Administration Manual including the Travel Policies as well as the HR Manual while a user guideline for procurement and fiscal year-end process was developed. At the same time, the interest in employee growth led the team to link with the Supreme Council for Women and develop programmes which integrated women's needs within the EDB.

Providing reliable support

Following EDB's mission to help develop Bahrain's economy and encourage investment within a business-friendly environment, the Legal department has played a significant role as a dependable and supportive stakeholder. The legal team regularly consults with government departments on business related draft laws and provides feedback and commentary to both the Upper and Lower Houses of parliament upon request. The legal team is actively engaged in helping to resolve legal issues faced by investors in Bahrain. Members of the team are also regular and principal contributors to EDB's initiated business related reform projects.

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"The training provided a space for everyone to evaluate their own performance, to identify what was lacking and to learn from their flaws and mistakes." Ameena Al Onaisi, Legal Specialist Leading Successful Project, The Leadership Company

"It was a fantastic experience! We all got to mingle and bond with each other [in a] serene setting, self-reflecting at the end of training everyday. The course really helped us dig deep into ourselves and find our inner leader...I'm very grateful to the EDB for giving us this opportunity." Eman Al Sharif, Human Resources Manager Invictus Leadership Programme, Jordan

In 2012, the EDB published the Bahrain School Agenda, a strategic roadmap for public schools with over 80 initiatives designed to raise the performance of local schools.

Improvements have been marked in all fields from leadership and management (46%) to care and guidance (46%), curriculum (47%), teaching and learning (36%) and academic achievement (34%).

Looking to the skills that support students and graduates in the marketplace and enabling them to meet the economic and social challenges of the 21st Century, the EDB published the Employability Agenda in 2013

Over 1,200 youths - public school students and members of social organisations responsible for underprivileged children -were invited to exclusive viewings of youngsters'edutainment shows.

"The trained local workforce is a massive advantage - it's always better to have good nationals as they are the bestto understand local market needs as well as customers' expectations. Approximately70% of the workforce in our local operations in Bahrain is Bahraini and that number is likely to continue to grow as the local insurance shops are manned by Bahrainis. As Bahrain is still a country where people like to do business face to face, these shops are important." Jerome Droesch, CEO Gulf and Middle East Region, AXA

BIPA, in 2012, our team managed an 18-month long course in Advanced PR which was attended by 40 public servants.

In 2012, we partnered with the University of Bahrain and participated in a law symposium attended by over 1300 students.

A broad range of staff presentations catering to healthy living, disease prevention, exercise and the Pension Fund services and saving schemes, amongst other notable sessions, were held between 2012 and 2013.

During 2012, 88 press releases were circulated by the National Communications team while in 2013, 100 press releases were circulated to domestic outlets.

"Y. K. Almoayyed & Sons Group, since its establishment in 1940, has emerged from a small one-man business to one of the most successful and diversified professionally managed, integrated commercial, industrial and services organizations in the Kingdom of Bahrain and beyond. With over 5000 full time staff, the company represents over 300 leading brands from all over the world including Nissan, Ford, Renault, Sony, Toshiba, Hitachi, Kenwood, Bose, Nikon, Komatsu, Nissan Diesel, Tadano, Iveco, York, Xpelair, Kodak, Swatch and Lalique. The story of my business is about a family that has been entrepreneurial for three generations, succeeding through a belief in doing business the right way." Mona Almoayyed, Managing Director Y.K. Almoayyed & Sons

By maintaining a continuous donation of used plastic bottles, approximately 60 wheelchairs were purchased and provided for the needy in 2013 through our contribution alone.

As the backbone of the EDB in terms of efficiency, support services and operations, the Corporate Services Department has effectively transformed the organisation into a largely paperless and green environment between 2012 and 2013.

The interest in employee growth led the team to link with the Supreme Council for Women and develop programmes which integrated women's needs within the EDB.

The legal team regularly consults with government departments on business related draft laws and provides feedback and commentary to both the Upper and Lower Houses of parliament upon request.

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