BCCI needs AlMoayed urged to stay

Manama : The Board of Directors of the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) held a meeting yesterday on the Chamber’s premises to discuss Khalid AlMoayed’s decision to step down from the presidency of the organisation.

During the meeting, 12 board members, who attended the meeting, asked AlMoayed to withdraw his resignation from the post and resume as the Chairman of the Chamber for the current term. They declared their inclination to Al Moayed and stressed on the importance of integration particularly during the hardship that the Chamber is currently undergoing.

AlMoayed had tendered his resignation, surprisingly a day after he was reelected as the Chairman of the organisation. BCCI board of directors had decided in an extraordinary meeting on Sunday to reelect him as the Chairman for the remaining period of the board’s session. But surprisingly AlMoayed tendered his resignation yesterday, as DT News has learnt, he was frustrated over the performance of some of the board members. 

BCCI’s next general assembly is scheduled on April 7. Sources said BCCI members would be asking him to withdraw his resignation.

Commenting on the resignation of AlMoayed, a trader in Manama Souq - Abdul Karim Al Fulaij - said, “I am sorry to see Khalid AlMoayed resign. Actually, most of the other 17 board members were the reason behind the turmoil in BCCI. I strongly give my support to AlMoayed and at the same time I strongly propose to dissolve the BCCI board members and call for a new election.”

“Almost all those who were elected to BCCI were in MAAKOM group under the leadership of AlMoayed; they were elected because of his good name among the business community. But where are those who entered BCCI on his ticket? They all have left him alone,” he remarked.

He pointed out that the problem with BCCI is that almost all the board members are “irrelevant” to the economy. “...And they are supposed to resign... but these board members won’t resign... they must be dissolved and a new election should be held.” 

“What was most surprising to me is the way some board members immediately accepted their new positions that they didn’t deserve... because almost all the board members do nothing for the economy... most of the merchants are unhappy with these board members and want them removed as they don’t do anything for economy,” he said.

“AlMoayed was innocent and I want him to stay and instead remove the rest of the board members,” he added. “Actually, before the election I had informed Al Moayed that these candidates in his MAAKOM group were only interested in serving themselves and not the economy... and unfortunately this is the end result.”