Week-long events provide insights into business-friendly Bahrain as regional centre for startups
Highlights Bahrain’s dynamic diversification drive towards a digital economy
Manama, Bahrain: 18 February 2019 – Under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander, Chairman of the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), Bahrain will host the next edition of StartUp Bahrain Week – a series of inspirational events for entrepreneurs, investors and businesses aimed at the dynamic startup community.
Bahrain’s focus on shaping a regional hub for entrepreneurs, as part of its ongoing efforts to meet key goals within the Economic Vision 2030, comes under the spotlight between 3 – 10 March 2019. With the region’s premier startup forums organised by the EDB, strategic partner Tamkeen (Bahrain Labour Fund) and in collaboration with the startup community in Bahrain.
The events will provide an environment for like-minded individuals to network and learn about the startup ecosystem that has successfully been created by Bahrain thanks to its business-friendly economic and regulatory framework.
H.E. Khalid Al Rumaihi, Chief Executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board, said:
“StartUp Bahrain Week promises to be a week-long of inspirational events for entrepreneurs and investors that will encourage innovation and growth in the startup ecosystem. Currently, the regulatory climate we have cultivated, in recent years, has provided a solid foundation for the startup community. We look forward to sharing knowledge, great ideas, and most importantly the opportunities available in Bahrain.”
“We are now seeing our financial services sector transform due to technology and disruptive startups, and we hope to see technology and startups play a role in other sectors as well, such as Manufacturing, taking us forward to the fourth industrial revolution.”
Dr. Ebrahim Janahi, Chief Executive Officer of Tamkeen, said:
“Tamkeen is delighted to once again be a strategic partner of StartUp Bahrain Week. It underlines our commitment to helping promising talent develop the right skills for the knowledge economy. These are skills that we need to encourage and develop within Bahrain and across the region. StartUp Bahrain Week comes just weeks after Tamkeen announced the region’s first talent programme specifically for the financial services and technology industry focused on training and developing Bahrainis in the FinTech space, one of the fastest growing startup sectors.”
StartUp Bahrain Week will attract key stakeholders including investors, corporates, accelerators, incubators, educational institutions and government agencies. More than 2,500 delegates are expected to attend the week-long events featuring over 20 speakers and two startup competitions.
These include: –
Unbound Bahrain: The anchor event of StartUp Bahrain Week, the global innovation festival will showcase some of the Middle East and North Africa’s most innovative startups and government initiatives.
Unreasonable Thinking Summit: A two-day forum on innovation and disruption designed to educate and inspire the Bahraini business community, especially startup entrepreneurs.
Entrepreneurship Training: Workshops aimed at discussing opportunities and challenges for entrepreneurs from idea conception to business plan execution.
Bahrain Deep Tech Programme: A three-day boot camp with doctoral scientists, researchers and entrepreneurs discussing and showcasing cutting-edge technologies and how to turn their ideas into commercial opportunities.
StartUp Bahrain Ecosystem Tour: An informative exploration of Bahrain’s burgeoning startup scene, where participants will meet key influencers who are driving disruptive technology that is reaffirming Bahrain’s position as the go-to destination for regional startups.
Urban Experience: A networking event for the startup community to share ideas and identify potential areas of collaboration and cooperation.
Flat6Labs Demo Day: An opportunity to see startups pitch their inspiring ventures on stage to an audience of investors, government agencies and business leaders that could lead to potential new investments and a future commercial deal.
The week also features a line-up of high profile speakers from around the world including Nawaf Alkooheji, CEO of Tenmou, Bahrain’s first business angel investment company; Tim Draper, one of the world’s most highly respected venture capitalists; Waleed Alballaa, of Saudi-based STV, the region’s largest venture capital fund, and a leading voice on the Middle East investment scene; and Wajeeha Awadh, a FinTech and digital banking expert with Bahrain-based Al Baraka Banking Group.
Other speakers include Indian politician and writer Dr Shashi Tharoor; best-selling author, motivational speaker and business strategist John Sanei; Khaled Nuseibeh, GCC general manager of Careem, the region’s first hail-riding app; Amir Farha, CEO of BECO Capital, a venture capital firm focused on reinventing the Middle East through innovation and technology entrepreneurship; A. Al-Shaksy, founder of Oman-based venture capital firm Phaze Ventures; and Dr Cameron Mirza, head of strategy at the University of Bahrain.
Bahrain is home to a vibrant regional startup ecosystem of over 90 companies. This includes a concentration on tech based and tech enabled startups, which is underpinned by the 23 incubators and 4 accelerators, and an onshore regulatory environment with multiple funding options that enable startups to test their innovative products and services. Skiplino became the first tech startup in Bahrain to secure series A funding from a Kuwaiti venture capital firm KISP Ventures. With technology and innovation transforming the global industries, Bahrain’s agile reaction to the transformation to a digital economy is an example of Bahrain’s action-orientated approach to supporting the startup community.
For more information about StartUp Bahrain Week, visit https://startupbahrain.com/week/
Follow @StartUpBahrain and @BahrainEDB on social media to keep up to date with the agenda.
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For more information, please contact:
Communications and Media Department
Economic Development Board
Phone: +973-17-589966
E-mail: communication@bahrainedb.com
About Bahrain Economic Development Board
The Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) is an investment promotion agency with overall responsibility for attracting investment into the Kingdom and supporting initiatives that enhance the investment climate.
The EDB works with the government and both current and prospective investors, in order to ensure that Bahrain’s investment climate is attractive, to communicate the key strengths, and to identify where opportunities exist for further economic growth through investment.
The EDB focuses on several economic sectors that capitalise on Bahrain’s competitive advantages and provide significant investment opportunities. These sectors include financial services, manufacturing, ICT, tourism, logistics and transport.
For more information on the Bahrain EDB visit www.bahrainedb.com; for information about Bahrain visit www.bahrain.com.
