Multi Market has hired and trained 40 Bahraini employees through Labour Fund Tamkeen’s employment and career-development programs, underscoring the retail sector’s role in job creation and skills building. The company said Bahrainis now make up most of its workforce after recent placements and training across store operations, fresh produce, bakery, seafood, and café service.

This move arrives as Tamkeen ramps up market-facing activity. Earlier this month, Bahrain’s pavilion at GITEX Global featured 14 local startups and SMEs, and the delegation closed with 12 partnership agreements and MoUs that signal new pipelines for private-sector growth. The 14-company showcase and the 12 agreements were confirmed in recent coverage, with agency partners such as the Economic Development Board and the Information & eGovernment Authority present across the pavilion footprint. See reporting on the pavilion kickoff and wrap-up, along with the agreements tally.

Tamkeen’s growth agenda matters for retailers like Multi Market. Wage support and on-the-job training reduce hiring friction, while structured upskilling builds service quality that shoppers notice. “Tamkeen’s support for Bahraini enterprises to participate in international exhibitions aligns with its ongoing efforts to provide a platform for showcasing their ideas and projects, and expanding into regional and global markets,” said Khalid Al Bayat, Chief Growth Officer at Tamkeen, in remarks tied to the GITEX delegation.

For founders and operators in Bahrain, the lesson is practical. Tamkeen’s refreshed National Employment Program offers multi-year wage support to help enterprises bring Bahrainis into frontline roles and retain them as they advance. The Train and Place Program connects jobseekers to employer-led training that culminates in a role, useful for retail footprints that need consistent talent in fresh, bakery, and customer service. Explore current tracks and eligibility on Tamkeen’s official pages for the National Employment Program and Train and Place Program.

Retail is a visible proving ground for employability programs, and it scales quickly when hiring friction falls. The recent pavilion activity shows agencies like the Economic Development Board and the iGA engaging alongside private firms, translating exhibition exposure into commercial leads. The same enablement logic applies on the shop floor, where steady training and wage pathways convert new hires into experienced teams.

Next step for Bahrain founders and retailers: review Tamkeen’s active support menu and map one hiring need to a program track this week, then submit an application through Tamkeen’s portal to lock timelines and training plans.