Tamkeen supports project ”+973” for youth creativity

As part of its ongoing efforts to empower enterprises and citizens in Bahrain, Tamkeen has announced its support of “+973” project, an initiative that falls under the “Wehda Wahda” campaign, in which Tamkeen is a strategic partner. The project includes a number of creative mechanisms designed to support young creative entrepreneurs and encourage entrepreneurship and productivity in the kingdom. 

Coordinated by Tamkeen and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, the “+973” project nurtures and sponsors creative pioneers and brings them together within an organised institution through a special center to house these creative pioneers and their products, serving as a permanent gallery for creative works and products by Bahraini youths. The gallery is expected to become a destination for Bahrain’s citizens and visitors where they can see all kinds of unique and innovative Bahraini products such as works of art, handicrafts, sculptures, paintings, home furniture and appliances, fashion, and accessories. 

Regular workshops will also be organised at this center, where new entrepreneurs can be trained to develop their skills and advance their enterprises based on the best international practices. This would support the sustainability of original Bahraini crafts as the introduction of international standards will develop Bahraini products and create local brands capable of competing internationally. 

The “+973” center was opened by her highness  Shaikha Thajba Bint Salman Al Khalifa on the 13th of November in Al Sugaya, which is expected to accommodate 15 business projects. 

“Developing skills and capabilities of young Bahrainis, especially in entrepreneurship, is a strategic priority for us because this is what drives innovation and economic development,” said Tamkeen CEO Mahmood Hashim Al Kooheji. “We will strive to make this unique project a major source of inspiration for the youth.” 

In addition to its economic and developmental objectives, “+973” project has a societal dimension as it brings all creative Bahrainis together under one ceiling and one identity. This enhances the culture of social integration and efficient citizenship and opens the doors wide for networking and exchange of expertise among pioneers through a wide variety of cultural, social, and economic programmes. 

Anyone wishing to participate in the second round of this project can complete application forms available through www.facebook.com/plus973. Eligibility criteria stipulate that the submitted project should be less than five years old and should be creative and innovative. All products must be advanced, appealing to Bahraini taste, and mixing Bahraini creativity with the creativity of the global economy. In the first phase of the project, applicants will also be interviewed to evaluate them and select the best among them based on their skills and personal and business abilities. 

The name “+973” was selected because it is the international telephone code for Bahrain, symbolising the project’s vision of opening a line for cooperation with the world, openness, and renewal in the application of economic projects by the youth in Bahrain. This is in line with the objectives of the “Wehda Wahda” campaign; namely, strengthening national cohesion among the Bahrainis based on the principle of citizenship and social interaction through various activities and serious youth engagement in social, cultural, and voluntary work.