Over 300 Bahraini, Israeli business leaders attend Connect2Innovate opening ceremony

TDT | Manama                                             

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com    

Reported by Julia Cassano

More than 300 Bahraini and Israeli business leaders attended the Connect2Innovate conference, a first-of-its-kind event organized by Start-Up Nation Central.

Start-Up-Nation Central is a non-profit organization that aims to connect governments, companies, and investors to the Israeli innovation system, in cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce, the Economic Development Board, the Embassy of Bahrain in Israel, and the Embassy of Israel in the Kingdom.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed during the ceremony to promote human capital development between both countries. In addition, SNC signed an MoU with Tamkeen, playing a critical role in the Kingdom’s Economic Vision 2030.

In a recorded speech by the Israeli President, Isaac Herzog, he highlighted Bahrain’s culture of peaceful coexistence and religious tolerance, as well as the Kingdom’s initiative to host the first conference, which gathers both nations, giving tremendous opportunities for entrepreneurs, business leaders, and companies to share ideas, expertise, and allow for people-to-people dialogue.

Strengthening ties between Bahrain and Israel gives both countries the opportunity to share and achieve common goals. The Minister of Industry and Commerce, Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, said: “Today, Bahrain represents a prominent investment center, whilst Israel holds a crucial centre for research and development of modern technology.”

He added that by strengthening Bahrain and Israel ties, both countries possess the capability to transform the region, overcome challenges, and hold a successful future to achieve great progress. Events like Connect2Innovate affirm the growing partnership between the countries and allows them to address challenges facing financial technology, manufacturing logistics, water, energy, and climate sectors.

“Connect2Innovate provides opportunities to share experiences and best practices to find innovative solutions for technological ecosystem development and human capital investment,” he said. Combining the youth, the ambitious workforce, and a thriving ecosystem, Fakhro pinpointed the Kingdom as “an attractive destination for startups in the field of innovation and technology.”

The Kingdom has become an innovation hub with its advanced digital infrastructure and the adoption of cloud computing, which has attracted global partnerships and leaders. “The relationship between Israel and Start-Up Nation Central, and the Kingdom of Bahrain, is true and honest, created by the desire to deepen the fruitful cooperation between both countries,” said Bahrain Ambassador to Israel Khalid Yusuf Ahmed Al Jalahma.

“I am proud to say that approximately three years after the signing of the Abraham Accords, collaborations, in all fields, is expanding and we always strive to grow them even more. I am confident that the technological tools and products developed by the Israeli startup companies will bring great benefit to the Bahraini economy and vice versa.”