More than 300 businessmen from Bahrain and Israel participated this week in the "Connect2Innovate" conference in Manama, the capital of Bahrain. The conference was led by the organization “Start-Up Nation Central”, which connects governments, corporations, and investors to the Israeli innovation industry, together with the Ministry of Industry and Commerce in the Kingdom of Bahrain, the Economic Development Board of Bahrain, the Embassy of Bahrain in Israel and the Embassy of Israel in Bahrain.
During the week, Bahraini and Israeli leaders from the public sector met with large corporations, start-up companies, and business communities in order to meet challenges in the fields of fintech, logistics and supply, water, energy, and climate. During the opening ceremony, a memorandum was signed to promote business initiatives in the field of innovation and human capital development between Bahrain and Israel.
Congratulations to the Kingdom of #Bahrain & Israel on creating greater prosperity & peace! https://t.co/Dtk3accbxx
— Ellie Cohanim (@EllieCohanim) March 14, 2023
The Start-Up Nation Central organization signed a memorandum with “Tamkeen”, a government agency in Bahrain that works to strengthen the private sector, and plays a significant role in the economic vision of Bahrain 2030. The agreement was signed to strengthen cooperation in the development of human capital between Bahrain and Israel.
President Herzog praised the culture of coexistence and religious tolerance in Bahrain and welcomed the initiative to host the first joint conference for the two countries while expressing his gratitude to the Minister of Industry and Commerce in Bahrain, Mr. Abdullah Bin Adal Farahu.
#Connect2Innovate Closing Panel: Investing in the Future of the Planet & Its People
— Start-Up Nation Central (@sncentral_) March 15, 2023
A celebratory closing panel with leading investors in health, climate, and education from #Bahrain and #Israel.
Nave Shachar, Dalal Al Qais, Nawaf AlKooheji, Ofir Gomeh, Eshel Lipman pic.twitter.com/MjuYJo2amL
In his remarks at the opening ceremony, the Minister of Industry and Commerce in Bahrain, Abdullah Bin Adal, emphasized that this event illustrates the growing partnership between Bahrain and Israel, with regard to challenges in the fields of technology, water, energy, and climate, and identifies new growth opportunities. He also added that the Kingdom of Bahrain is an attractive destination for Israeli startups. “Bahrain's advanced infrastructure and the Kingdom's commitment to innovation, digital economy, and forward-thinking have made the Kingdom a center of innovation in the Middle East.”
Over 300 Bahraini, Israeli business leaders attend “Connect2Innovate” conference #Israel #Bahrain #business https://t.co/t9fu7trKLv via @ArutzSheva_En pic.twitter.com/y35j0dVjAZ
— Eli Dror (@edrormba) March 13, 2023
"The relationship between Israel and Start-Up Nation Central and Bahrain is genuine and sincere, and was created out of the desire to deepen the cooperation between the countries," said Khalid Youssef Ahmed Al Jalhama, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to Israel. "About three years after the signing of the Abraham Accords, I am proud to say that the collaborations in all fields are expanding and we are constantly striving to expand more and more. I am sure that the technological tools and solutions developed by the Israeli start-up companies will bring great benefit to the Bahraini economy and vice versa," added Al Jalhama.
