Minister of Transportation and Acting Chief Executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), HE Kamal bin Ahmed, met with CG/LA Infrastructure President and CEO, Norman F. Anderson, to discuss preparations for the upcoming Bahrain Global Infrastructure Leadership Forum. The Forum will be hosted by the Kingdom of Bahrain, under the patronage of H.E. the Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, and will bring global experts in infrastructure to the Kingdom of Bahrain.
The Forum will focus on projects from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), along with select projects in Europe, the greater Middle East and North Africa region (MENA), and India, and is presented in partnership with the EDB. Project sponsors will have the opportunity to present specific infrastructure projects available within 3-18 months and listed as part of CG/LA’s Strategic Top 100 Report, scheduled to be released this September.
HE Kamal bin Ahmed, Minister of Transportation and Acting Chief Executive of the EDB said: "Bahrain has a long history of openness, and was on the first countries in the region to begin diversifying away from oil. Along with a tried and tested regulatory system, excellent regional connectivity, and a highly skilled workforce, the Kingdom is a great location for companies to set up, in order to access the fast-growing GCC market, whichis currently worth $1.6 trillion. The GCC has already seen the launch of many large-scale infrastructure projects in recent years, and with more projects in the pipeline. The launch of the Global Infrastructure Leadership Forum is a an exciting opportunity for the Kingdom, as it will allow companies to showcase their projects, and discuss partnerships with local, regional, and international firms".
The forum is expected to attract over 500 industry executives from all aspects of an infrastructure project lifecycle, including financial lenders and investors, law, design, engineering and construction firms, and owner-operators, who will be able to focus on specific infrastructure opportunities.
"This is a strategic opportunity for the region to invest in good projects that create competitiveness for their countries and opportunities for their people," said Anderson. "We are focused on creating a vision for project selection and laying out a measure of success."
The Bahrain Global Infrastructure Leadership Forum is a part of CG/LA Infrastructure’s prestigious, region-specific infrastructure forum series and will take place 18-20 November 2014 at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Manama.