April 27, 2015
Manama, Economic Development Board, 27th April 2015: The Economic Development Board (EDB) hosted a delegation of journalists from leading Chinese economic publications for a visit to Bahrain. The trip comes as part of the EDB’s efforts to promote investment opportunities in the Kingdom, and highlights the Kingdom’s key competitive advantages and growing economic relationship with China.
The journalists represent top Chinese publications, including The Economic Observer, China Economic Herald, Asia Pacific Times, and Caixin. The visit follows on His Majesty the King’s historic visit to China in 2013, as well as a 10 day visit to China and Hong Kong by a high level Bahrain business delegation organised by the EDB, during which 13 Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) were signed with Chinese businesses and trade organisations.
The three-day visit included meetings and interviews with a number of public and private sector representatives such as Bahrain International Investment Park (BIIP), Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), Tamkeen, CHINAMEX, and included a tour of the upcoming Dragon City project site.
The journalists also met with EDB officials, including Mr. Khalid Al Rumaihi, Chief Executive of the EDB and Dr. Jarmo Kotilaine, Chief Economist at the EDB. Additionally, the journalists experienced Bahraini culture with a visit to the Bahrain Fort and the Ahmed Al Fateh Mosque.
Commenting on the visit, Khalid Al Rumaihi, Chief Executive of the EDB said: “In Bahrain, Chinese investors will find one of the most open economies in the region and a favourable business environment for investors, and through such visits by journalists from leading international publications, we will be able to introduce a global audience to the numerous opportunities available in the Kingdom.
“China is fast becoming one of our key trade partners, and bilateral relations between both nations are growing, as is evident by the number of high-level visits hosted between both our countries in recent years. We look forward to meeting many more journalists as well as investors from China, in order to introduce Bahrain’s unique value proposition”.
Bahrain and China have a strong trade relationship that dates back two thousand years to the first Silk Road. The Kingdom is host to a number of leading Chinese companies, which have established offices or facilities in Bahrain to access the wider Gulf market. They include: Huawei, Bank of China, China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd, and CPIC.
