The first edition of Gateway Gulf Investor Forum was launched yesterday in Bahrain, May 8, 2018, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Bahrain Bay. The forum aims to explore the region’s economic transformation and investment opportunities.
The three-day event, held under the patronage of HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, Crown Prince of Bahrain, Deputy Supreme Commander, First Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), has brought together more than 500 global investors and business leaders from around the world. So rest assured, there will be enough brainstorming to figure viable ways of unlocking the opportunities generated by the rapid economic transformation in the GCC countries.
In fact, the main point of the event goes further than just discussions and collective brainstorming. It facilitates direct access to the GCC market by demonstrating major investment-ready projects. If you didn’t know, the net worth of all these projects currently stands at around $18 billion, with additional projects worth $26 billion still on the planning phase.
Gateway Gulf 1.0 also underlines Bahrain’s immense contribution to the region’s economy and business ecosystem.
“Bahrain was recognized as the fastest growing economy in the GCC in 2017, a trend the IMF expects to continue into 2018. This strong growth momentum, paired with the Kingdom’s strategic location, supportive and cost-effective business environment and talented workforce, offers international companies a powerful launch pad to access growth across the region,” said H.E. Khaled Nasser Abdullah Al-Roudan, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Kuwait.
The significance of the event can also be gauged from the long list of participating ministers and government officials from the Gulf region. Prominent speakers at Gateway Gulf 2018 include: H.E. Zayed Bin Rashid Al Zayani, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Bahrain; H.E. Dr Majid bin Abdullah Al Qasabi, Minister of Commerce and Investment, Saudi Arabia; and H.E. Khaled Nasser Abdullah Al-Roudan, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Kuwait, just to name a few.
