Minister honours EDIP graduates

Manama : Five batches of Enterprise Development and Investment Programme (EDIP) graduates were honoured by Industry, Commerce & Tourism Minister Zayed R. Alzayani in a ceremony yesterday.

The educational programme organized by UNIDO through its Arab International Center for Entrepreneurship and Investment (AICEI) in cooperation with Ministry of Industry, Commerce & Tourism and Bahrain Development Bank, saw five batches of Bahrainis graduating the course. The honouring ceremony was held at the Ministry’s premises in Bahrain Financial Harbour.  Apart from the Ministry officials and the graduates, United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Bahrain Head Dr. Hashim Hussein was also in attendance.

The Minister congratulated the graduates and noted the Government of the Kingdom has trusts the private sector to drive the economy forward.

 “The private sector will be at the centre of the country’s economic development goals and strategies. Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium Enterprises are vital to the national economy,” he said.

The minister added that the government of Bahrain, through the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, has embarked strategic partnerships with a number of bodies and institutions involved in this sector such as UNIDO Investment Promotion Office, which provides successive training programmes which has benefited hundreds of entrepreneurs from Bahrain.

The EDIP helps potential entrepreneurs to translate their ideas into commercial ventures. 

“The prime function of EDIP is to stimulate the emergence of new and growth of existing enterprises that produce goods and services for trade, provide employment and income for people, and thereby contribute to poverty alleviation and overall economic growth. The EDIP programme has two main components: Enterprise Creation and Enterprise Growth” UNIDO stated about the programme

According to statistics released by the UNIDO Office in Bahrain, 112 programs were implemented with the participation of 1863 entrepreneurs, and provided support for 8,000 Bahraini entrepreneurs.