Bahrain for greater trade ties with China

Bahrain is expected to sign major trade deals with China during a nine-day visit to the country organised by the Economic Development Board. The tour, which begins this week and aims at strengthening economic and trade ties, will have Shenzhen as its first stop. In addition to attending the Bahrain-Shenzhen Economic Forum and the China HighTech Fair, the most prominent high-end technology event in China and Huawei R&D Center, the delegation is also expected to sign landmark agreements and sign a number of MOUs with its Chinese counterparts.

Led by Shaikh Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa, Governor of Capital Governorate, the Bahraini delegation is comprised of Khalid Al Rumaihi, Chief Executive of EDB, Dr Anwar Alabdulla, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Bahrain to China, Sameer Abdulla Nass, Chairman of BCCI, and representatives from the private and public sectors. “These visits highlight our mutual desire to expand cooperation at all levels, from financial services to ICT, tourism, manufacturing, transportation and logistics services,” Shaikh Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa, Capital Governor commented.

Foreign investments in Bahrain have increased from $142 million in 2015 to $810 million in the first three quarters of 2018. Bahrain has already attracted some big Chinese names to invest in the country, including the ICT giant company Huawei and China International Marine Containers Company (CIMC). The total goods traded between Bahrain and China excluding oil increased from $872 million in 2009 to over $1.7 billion in 2017.

Commenting on the visit, Khalid Al Rumaihi, Chief Executive of the Bahrain EDB said: “We are particularly excited to be taking part in the China High Tech Fair for the third year and showcase areas in which Chinese businesses, particularly in the ICT sector, can tap into Bahrain and the wider region.” Over the length of this official visit, the delegation will meet with Chinese government officials, with Chen Rugui, Mayor of the Shenzhen, with the Governor of Zhejiang and Hebei Provinces, and with several Chinese business leaders. This is the fifth consecutive year that a Bahrain delegation has visited China.