business bites Bahrainthismonth.com 62 July 2024 BAHRAIN EDB PARTICIPATES IN DATACLOUD GLOBAL CONGRESS 2024 BCCI PRESIDENT ATTENDS AGM OF ARAB-FRENCH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE The Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB), in collaboration with the Gulf Data Center Association (GDCA), recently participated in the Datacloud Global Congress 2024 held in France. Bahrain EDB members engaged with leading data centre operators, hyperscalers, cloud providers, software vendors, and key industry stakeholders from major global markets, gaining valuable insights into the latest trends and challenges shaping the digital infrastructure landscape. During the conference, Bahrain’s competitive advantages as an attractive destination for data centre and cloud computing investments were highlighted to potential investors. Bahrain EDB Executive Director of Business Development for the ICT sector, Musab Abdullah, underscored the importance of the event in providing a platform to exchange experiences and promote Bahrain as a tech hub for companies seeking to expand their footprint in the region. He also participated in a panel that reviewed the growing wave of digital infrastructure projects across the Middle East alongside high-level speakers from NEOM’s cognitive technology company, Tonomus, Khazna Data Centers, STL Partners and Quantum Switch. Datacloud Global Congress 2024 gathered over 2,800 key decision-makers from the finance, technology and energy sectors, alongside leading data centre providers and government agencies. Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) Chairman, Sameer Abdulla Nass, emphasised the necessity of further advancing Arab-French economic and trade relations, particularly amidst current global challenges and market fluctuations. He encouraged the enhancement of economic ties across various fields, capitalising on the significant opportunities presented by Arab markets in industry, trade and development. Speaking at the 53rd annual general meeting of the Arab-French Chamber of Commerce in Paris, he highlighted the factors supporting enhanced trade cooperation, noting France’s importance as a key partner for the Arab world. He pointed out the distinguished relations between Bahrain and France, noting that trade between Bahrain and France reached USD385 million in 2022, marking a 36 percent increase compared to 2021. Exports amounted to USD98,166,572, while imports totalled USD286,924,332. He stated that the Arab and French business communities play a crucial role in boosting trade relations, actively contributing to increased trade and investment rates through their capabilities and resources. Furthermore, he affirmed the Union of Arab Chambers’ commitment to fostering and developing integrative developmental partnerships between Arab countries and their global counterparts.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy Mjk0MTkxMQ==