Corporate Ambassadors Program

"Bahraini-U.S. Ties Strengthened at 2nd Corporate Ambassadors Program"

On September 28 and 29, the Bahrain Businesswomen’s Society (BBS) held its 2009 Corporate Ambassadors Program: “The Second Business Exchange Forum: Bahraini and American Experience.” This conference was held under the patronage of H.E. Dr. Hassan Bin Abdulla Fakhro, the Minister of Industry and Commerce, and featured opening remarks from U.S. Ambassador Adam Ereli, Mrs. Mona Almoayyed, President of the Bahrain Businesswomen’s Society; Mrs. Afnan Al Zayani, President of the Middle East and North Africa Businesswomen’s Network and board member of the BBS; Ms. Luz Hopewell, Director of the International Trade Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration; and Ms. Mary MacPherson, Director of the Businesswomen’s Network at Vital Voices Global Partnership.

The “Second Business Exchange Forum” brought together BBS members, local and regional businesswomen and men, ministry representatives and parliamentarians, and was supported by the Middle East and North Africa Businesswomen’s Network, the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI), the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Tamkeen, Women Gateway and Vital Voices Global Partnership.

The BBS set out to continue to build local understanding of the U.S.-Bahraini Free Trade Agreement, government procurement incentive programs, supplier diversity programs initiated by the private sector, and the support services available to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) from the U.S., Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. To reach this aim, the BBS invited three experts from the U.S. to address these issues: Luz Hopewell, Linda Denny, President of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council, and Geri Swift, Founding President of the Women’s Business Development Center.

The two-day conference allowed for extensive dialogue between panelists and audience members and provided the opportunity to network. In the first panel, Geri Swift introduced the audience to various services available to SME owners to develop their leadership and business skills. This panel, moderated by Dr. Lulwa Al-Mutlak, Vice President of the Bahrain Management Society, also featured Aramide Ajayi, Head and General Manager of SME Banking at Standard Chartered Bank in Nigeria; Abdulleh Al-Qassimim, CEO of Tamkeen; Dr. Hashim Hussein, Head of UNIDO; and Hind Al-Zahed, Head of the Businesswomen’s Chamber of Commerce in the Eastern Province (Saudi Arabia), who discussed the services available to SMEs through their various organizations.

The second panel featured Luz Hopewell and Linda Denny, and experts Mr. Adel Al Safer, president of the American Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Bob Hughes, an industry advisor, and Mr. Khalid bin Hindi, member of the Bahrain Businessmen’s Association. MENA Businesswomen’s Network President and BBS Board Member Afnan Al Zayani moderated the discussion of how local businesses can take advantage of the Bahrain-U.S. Free Trade Agreement.

The third panel brought together all three U.S. Corporate Ambassadors in addition to Dr. Jassim Hussein, member of the National Assembly; Mr. Kamal Ahmed, CEO of the Economic Development Board; and Mr. Mohammed Essam Kamour, legal advisor to the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry, to delve into government procurement programs and private sector supplier diversity programs that encourage and support small and medium enterprises to bid for contracts.

At the conclusion of the two-day conference, the members of the BBS compiled a list of recommendations based on the dialogue and discussions that they experienced. These recommendations include creating a single definition of small and medium enterprises and creating documentation that qualifies a company as an SME. Declaring a company as an SME will allow it to compete for government and private procurement contracts. Other recommendations include the creation of a coordinating body to oversee the various support agencies in order to ensure that they remain beneficial to SMEs, the creation of a public database of all U.S. companies located in Bahrain, and the continuation of face-to-face meetings such as the Corporate Ambassadors Program.

This Corporate Ambassadors Program, “The Second Business Exchange Forum: Bahraini and American Experience” continued to foster the strong relationship between Bahraini and American businesspeople and facilitated serious dialogue that enriched all those who participated. The BBS is a vital member of the Middle East and North Africa Businesswomen’s Network and this Corporate Ambassadors Program is one of many events they host during the year.

“The Corporate Ambassadors Program is a cornerstone of the MENA BWN,” explains Afnan Al Zayani, MENA BWN president. “These one-to-one exchanges really nurture the spirit of women’s entrepreneurship by connecting high-level female executives from the U.S. with emerging businesswomen leaders from other countries. The CAP also offers Bahrain an opportunity to learn about and adopt successful American policies that will further enhance the business atmosphere in Bahrain and open new horizons for Bahrain’s business community at large.”