A high-level Bahraini delegation, led by Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Isa bin Salman Education Charitable Trust and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), successfully concluded its participation in the World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting 2025. 

 

The event was held from January 20 to 24 in Davos, Switzerland under the theme 'Collaboration for the Intelligent Age.'  

 

The Bahrain delegation comprised several senior government officials including Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Finance and National Economy and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company; Noor bint Ali Alkhulaif, Minister of Sustainable Development and Chief Executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB); Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, Minister of Industry and Commerce; Shaikh Salman bin Ahmed bin Salman Al Khalifa, President of the Court of the Crown Prince; Shaikh Abdulla bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, CEO of Mumtalakat; Hamad Al Mahmeed, the Director General of the Prime Minister’s Office; Sara Buhejji, CEO of the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority; Iain Lindsay OB OBE, Advisor to Board at Bahrain EDB.

 

During the Forum, Shaikh Isa, along with the delegation, engaged in bilateral meetings, roundtable discussions, and high-level strategy sessions to highlight Bahrain’s initiatives and progress in economic diversification, sustainability, and innovation, said Bahrain EDB in a statement. 

 

He later visited pavilions of key countries, including the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the Sultanate of Oman, enhancing bilateral ties and collaboration. 

 

A significant milestone during the forum was the signing of an agreement between Tamkeen and WEF to launch Bahrain’s Skills and Gender Parity Accelerator in the presence of Shaikh Isa.

 

Members of the delegation actively contributed to the Forum’s agenda through a variety of speaking engagements to showcase Bahrain’s forward-looking policies, programmes, and economic achievements.

 

Shaikh Salman took part in the GCC-focused session “Economic Diversification and Its Impact on Sustainability,” where he highlighted the transformative policies driving sustainable development in the Gulf and the role of technological innovation as a catalyst of economic reform. 

 

He later joined Monaco’s Secretary for Attractiveness, Development and Digital Transformation, Frédéric Genta, in the panel “Bahrain and Monaco: Building Powerful Country Brands in a Globalized World,” to discuss strategies for enhancing global competitiveness.  

 

Noor bint Ali participated in the session “Leaders for a Sustainable MENA: Climate, AI, and Finance,” where she emphasised the Middle East’s energy transition and the integration of sustainability into its economic agenda, and highlighted the importance of collaboration between the private and public sectors in driving meaningful progress. 

 

She also contributed to the “Global Gender Parity Sprint Champions” meeting, in which global leaders collaborated on advancing gender parity and future-proofing diversity efforts.  

 

Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro took part in the strategy meeting “Pathways to Competitiveness: Setting the Industrial Policy Agenda,” exploring how governments and industries can align policies with sustainability goals and technological advancements. said the statement.

 

The WEF 2025 Annual Meeting brought together a diverse community of leading stakeholders to address pressing challenges facing the economy, such as geopolitical instability, stimulating economic growth, and stewarding an inclusive energy transition, it added.-TradeArabia News Service