BCCI to take stands for market growth

Manama : The Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) held a strategical conference-cum-workshshop yesterday at Al Dana Hall of Gulf Hotel here. The conference was reportedly to promote broader prospects among the members and to serve common interests as well as to share identical view points and problems. 

According to the Chief Executive of BCCI, Dr Khalid Mohammed Al Ruwaihi, the conference was also a workshop, and it was the first of its kind to facilitate face-to-face interaction between the members and clients. There was a meeting of similar kind held last month but the members were not able to present their problems in the right way and seek solutions from the concerned authorities, said Dr Al Ruwaihi. This was, however, a platform for the members to meet as a team and sort out issues, and more importantly, they could be told what the BCCI could do and what not to keep them more realistic and free from illusions, he said. 

The main objective of the meeting was to help the members have more transparency about the organisation. “People think that the BCCI has a magic wand and could do anything to solve the issues, and we wanted to clear that,” he said. 

The workshop had approximately 166 candidates registered from 15 sectors such as health and medical services, banking and insurance, trade and retail, food and agriculture, travel and tourism, real estate and construction, transport and logistics, industrial sector, restaurants and coffee shops, jewellery, and ICT and beauty salons. 

The workshop was divided into three sessions. While the first was to discuss the problems members were facing, the second was an interaction between the clients and members. The third session was an open discussion where the members could present their recommendations and seek best possible means to bring out solutions.

With the workshop, the BCCI was able to gain the members’ trust, by shedding light into many areas which until now were dark corners, said Dr Al Ruwaihi to the DTNews. 

“Most of the members didn’t have a clear idea about the role of BCCI. We were able to clear it and thereby foment better ties the BCCI and the members. We stand to sort out their problems, but if they are beyond the reach of the BCCI one cannot expect solutions overnight. We are not here to give vague hopes to anyone,” he told DTNews. Besides CEO Dr Khalid Mohammed Al Ruwaihi, the BCCI panel included Director of Client Care Fahad A Aziz, Facilitation Director Mubarak Al Moosa, PR Manager Isa Ahmed and Director of Finance and Administration Affair Shaima Akbar.

Isa Ahmed, PR manager said, “This is just a beginning. We are set to start work immediately and set goals for a better future.