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Gulf Daily News Thursday, 26th March 2015
$150 million
investment
deals agreed
By AVINASH SAXENA
MANAMA:
Investment
worth $150 million have
been agreed on at the
Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises Mondiales (FCEM) 63rd
World Business Women’s
Congress in Bahrain.
Held under the patronage of
Her Royal Highness Princess
Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al
Khalifa, wife of His Majesty
the King and Supreme Council
for Women (SCW) president,
the three-day event organised by the Bahrain Business
and Professional Women
International Federation (BPW)
concluded yesterday.
Themed “Our Bridges to the
World”, the forum witnessed
the participation of more than
500 high-profile businesswomen and entrepreneurs representing nearly 40 countries around
the world as well as prominent
international figures.
BPW Bahrain president
Shaikha Hind bint Salman Al
Khalifa said she was proud that
they had succeeded in making
the global event a platform to
encourage communication and
establish new business partnerships across borders.
She said B2B meetings
organised during the forum had
brought together business owners from different regions and
sectors and saw the birth of
new ideas and achieved concrete results through contracts
and trade agreements.
“It is hoped that these meetings will open new doors for
partnerships and new businesses all over the world, despite
all the difficult circumstances
going on in the globe,” Shaikha
Hind added.
FCEM president Laura Frati
Gucci said a key objective
behind choosing to host the
event in the Arab world for the
second time was to attract the
largest number of Arab businesswomen.
“We encourage all business
owners from the region to take
advantage of this opportunity to connect and create new
horizons for co-operation,” she
said.
Arab
Businesswomen
Council
president
and
Ambassador of the FCEM in
the Arab region, Dr Shaikha
Hessa Saad Al Sabah hailed
the great enthusiasm shown by
Arab businesswomen towards
this evolving investment and
trade exchange programme.
Unido Investment and
Technology Promotion Office
head Dr Hashim Hussain said
more than 400 bilateral meetings resulted in around 40 letters of intent.
“The estimated investment
value of the potential deals is
$150m.
“I consider this as one of
the biggest achievements of
the conference and the clearest
indicator of success,” he said.
Prominent international figures who took part include
UAE Minister of Development
and International Affairs and
president of Zayed University
Shaikha Lubna bint Khalid
Al Qasimi, deputy chairman
of the Board of Trustees and
General Supervisor of Effat
University in Jeddah Princess
23
n Princess Sabeeka received Ms Gucci yesterday and highlighted Bahrain’s efforts to empower
women under the national development strategy. She also commended the FCEM-led efforts
to build bridges with businesswomen and women entrepreneurs all over the world to exchange
expertise and support their respective national economies
n Participants at the event
n International jeweller Damiani Group’s vice-president Silvia Damiani was a key participant at the 63rd World Congress of
Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises Mondiales at the Gulf Hotel in Bahrain. Above, Ms Damiani, third from left, with leading Bahraini
and international businesswomen and Mr Hussain
Lulua Al Faisal bint Abdul
Aziz, Oman’s former family
and community development
minister Dr Sharifah Al Yahyai
and former minister and member of the Kuwaiti parliament
Dr Massouma Al Mubarak.
avinash@gdn.com.bh
n The next Global International Convention of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) will be held in Bahrain in November. Hundreds of leading Indian businessmen from
more than 60 countries are expected to attend. The decision was made at a meeting in London, presided over by Lord Dilgit Rana with leading businessman and owner of Sun Mark Group of
Companies, Dr Ramee Ranger, and Mayor Sunil Chopra. Above, the GOPIO members.