At the launch ceremony of the 3rd Forum on Investing in Technology: The Seeds of Growth, attended by and held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Commander and Chief of the Bahrain Defence Force, Kuwait Finance House, Bahrain (KFH-Bahrain) underscored its commitment to supporting greater investments in technology throughout the Arab world as well as its desire to position Bahrain as a regional hub for technology and science.
In conjunction with the Arab Science & Technology Foundation, KFH-Bahrain, the main sponsor and co-organiser of the event, welcomed all guests and participations from the region and around the world, hailing the event an important step forward in efforts to build momentum among the private and public sectors and the investment community, in particular, to focus greater attention on supporting innovative Arab technology companies, start-ups and entrepreneurs as well as scholars and scientists.
Opening the conference, Mr. Abdulhakeem Alkhayyat, General Manager of KFH-Bahrain expressed his gratitude to HH Sheikh Salman for his attendance and patronage as well as his ongoing efforts to support education and the further development and progress of Bahrain.
Mr. Alkhayyat underscored the paramount importance of science and technology in the ability of the region to compete on a global scale as well as KFH-Bahrain’s dedication to investing in and providing the necessary support to entrepreneurial Arab scientists and companies as well as developing the right mechanisms – such as educational endowments – to support the region’s youth.
Specifically, Mr. Alkhayyat expressed the Bank’s intent to work towards positioning Bahrain as a leading regional science and technology hub, saying “ Bahrain has an environment that is conducive to fostering progress in the area of science and technology and, as such, KFH-Bahrain is announcing its intention to explore the significant opportunities that exist for creating, in Bahrain, a world-class science and technology park that can act as an incubator and means of driving advancement in this key area but also as a way of providing a point of connectively between the many successful Arab scientists spread throughout the world.”
Mr. Alkhayyat concluded, “The further development of science and technology is at the core of development and growth and KFH-Bahrain is committed to continuing to do all it can to support its advancement throughout the Arab world. Momentum is being gained but we believe that working together we can accomplish a great deal more.”
The two-day has brought together technology leaders, corporations, investors, venture capital funds and financial institutions in order to identify opportunities and stimulate further investments in new Arab-generated technologies and companies with worldwide market potential.
KFH-Bahrain’s sponsorship of the conference reflects the Bank’s ongoing dedication to supporting regional companies and projects that drive economic development and progress as well as its ongoing efforts to join together with organizations such as the Arab Science & Technology Foundation that are already making great contributions in this area through their support for entrepreneurial Arab companies and scientists.
Since its inception in October 2002, KFH-Bahrain has made significant investments in a number of promising and entrepreneurial technology companies in the region and is focused, now more than ever, on continuing to identify and provide backing for others
About Kuwait Finance House, Bahrain
Kuwait Finance House, Bahrain is a leading provider of Islamic commercial and investment banking services. Established in 2002 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Kuwait Finance House (Kuwait) -- an industry leader for more than 25 years -- KFH-Bahrain specialises in developing and bringing to market the highest quality Islamically compliant banking and investment products, all of which are delivered by a staff of experienced and dedicated professionals with a deep understanding of the market and the customers we serve.
