A Bahrain delegation is heading to Prague to showcase the Kingdom's logistics credentials at the annual European Supply Chain & Logistics Summit next week.
Representatives from the Kingdom's Economic Development Board (EDB), Bahrain Logistics Zone (BLZ) and Batelco will attend the event in the Czech Republic capital from 7-9 June. Themed 'Accelerating growth in the economic upturn', it is the ideal opportunity to engage with Europe's leading supply chain and logistics decision makers. As the gateway to the trillion dollar Gulf market Bahrain has much to offer, according to Kamal Ahmed, Chief Operating Officer of the EDB.
"Having made a significant investment in Bahrain's logistics infrastructure, the Kingdom is now recognised as a strategically located logistics hub at the heart of a region anticipating enviable levels of economic growth. For European logistics executives looking to position themselves to remain competitive in today's re-set world, Bahrain is the ideal location to do business in and from."
Bahrain is ranked second in the Middle East and 32nd of 155 economies worldwide in the World Bank's Global Logistics Performance Index 2010. Logistics is considered a target sector in achieving the ambitions of Vision 2030, designed to support further diversification of the economy and ultimately elevate national living standards by creating greater opportunities for Bahrainis. The EDB, which has the responsibility for creating the right climate to attract foreign investment, is leading the process under the guidance of His Royal Highness Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince of Bahrain and Chairman of the EDB.
With the US$360m Khalifa bin Salman Port (KBSP) opened in April 2009 and the US$280m Bahrain Logistics Zone (BLZ) scheduled to open in 2011, Bahrain is emerging as the most cost-effective transhipment hub to serve the northern Gulf. BLZ has been designed to capitalise on the Kingdom's close proximity to Saudi Arabia and at just 13km from Bahrain International Airport also claims the shortest logistics transfer time to and from sea/air in the region. The airport itself will soon be home to Cargo Oasis, an expanded handling facility that will treble international air cargo to one million tonnes per annum – comparable with London's Heathrow.
A BLZ representative is currently among the delegation from the General Organisation of Seaports (GOP) at the 13th German Arab Business Forum in Berlin, where the Kingdom is being presented as a multimodal logistics centre for the European market.
