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On the sidelines of Singapore Fintech Festival 2024

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Bahrain EDB Announces Attracting Over USD 100 million in Investment Commitments from Singapore

SINGAPORE, Nov. 6, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB) today reported at the sidelines of Singapore Fintech Festival 2024 attracting over USD 100 million in investment commitments from Singapore-based companies since November 2023 across key sectors, namely financial services, ICT, and tourism. Marking a new milestone for the Island nation’s investment promotion agency, the results demonstrate the impact of Bahrain EDB’s expansive international footprint, wherein the Singapore office is the first to have been established in the ASEAN region a year ago.

H.E. Noor bint Ali Alkhulaif, Minister of Sustainable Development, Chief Executive of Bahrain Economic Development Board said, “Underscoring the established trust of international investors in Bahrain’s value proposition, this milestone achievement is a testament to the impact and agility of our ‘Team Bahrain’ approach, wherein both the public and private sectors work in tandem to ensure Bahrain’s investment environment remains attractive, defined by forward-looking regulatory frameworks and streamlined services, offering a seamless journey for businesses setting up in our island nation,” adding, “We take pride in the steady growth of investments from key markets including Singapore and in witnessing international firms that set up in Bahrain successfully expand and flourish.”

Strategically positioned in the heart of the Arabian Gulf, Bahrain is celebrated for its openness, tolerance, and cultural diversity. The island nation is home to a highly skilled talent pool, where the local workforce is consistently elevated and supported by government grants and subsidised programmes, and thereby equipped to meet the demands of an evolving global market. Women make up 34% of the financial services and insurance sector alone. Several leading firms, including Citi and PwC Middle East, have chosen Bahrain as their base for tech hubs and service centres to cater to their global clientele.

Dalal Buhejji, Executive Director of Financial Services at Bahrain EDB, added, “Bahrain has always been a hub for innovation and financial services. As a singular financial regulator, the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) has been a pioneering force in supporting the development of Bahrain’s thriving financial services sector introducing robust regulatory frameworks that include regional-firsts in crypto assets and open banking. Beyond this, businesses operating in Bahrain benefit from a future-ready workforce that combines bi-lingual, driven Bahraini nationals with a diverse expat talent pool offering global perspectives.”

As the first Gulf nation to diversify its economy, Bahrain continues to flourish, with its digitally empowered financial services sector contributing almost 17% to real GDP as of 2023. The sector boasts a diverse mix of prominent international banks, financial institutions, fintechs, and new digital asset players. This includes Singapore-based firms like Whampoa Group’s Singapore Gulf Bank and the recently licensed Crypto.com to provide payment services.

Bahrain EDB’s Singapore-based office serves its headquarters by providing strategic on-ground presence and advisory services to investors and businesses within Singapore seeking to expand or set up in Bahrain, which has cemented itself as a business-friendly gateway to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Offering comprehensive services that includes research-led market insights and industry assessments, Bahrain EDB supports investors journey from end-to-end, facilitating connections with key decision-makers across Bahrain’s public and private sector and providing tailored aftercare services long after businesses first embark on their journey.

Investors attending Singapore Fintech Festival 2024, which is taking place from November 6 to November 8, interested in learning more about Bahrain as a premier talent and investment destination are invited to visit Bahrain EDB’s stand at Singapore Expo (Stand 5J23, Hall Five).

About Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB)

Bahrain EDB is an investment promotion agency with the overall responsibility of attracting investment into the Kingdom and supporting initiatives that enhance the investment climate.

Bahrain EDB works with the government and both current and prospective investors, to ensure that Bahrain’s investment climate is attractive, to communicate the key strengths, and to identify where opportunities exist for further economic growth through investment.

Bahrain EDB focuses on several economic sectors that capitalise on Bahrain’s competitive advantages and provide significant investment opportunities. These sectors include financial services, manufacturing, logistics, ICT, and tourism.

For more information on Bahrain EDB visit www.bahrainedb.com 

 

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SOURCE Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB)

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PASHA Holding forges global connections at COP29

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BAKU, Azerbaijan, Nov. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — PASHA Holding, a leading Azerbaijani company, successfully participated at COP29, reaffirming its dedication to climate action. As an Impact Partner at the event, PASHA Holding actively engaged in meaningful discussions, collaborated with global stakeholders, and shared its vision for a sustainable future.

The holding’s presence included a tailored booth in the Green Zone, alongside multiple thought-provoking sessions led by PASHA Holding companies, including PASHA Bank, Kapital Bank, PASHA Insurance, PASHA Life, AgroDairy, and PASHA Real Estate. These sessions addressed critical issues such as climate finance, sustainable agriculture, and the role of private sector leadership in fostering inclusive green transitions.

Through its participation, PASHA Holding leveraged the opportunity to exchange ideas, build relationships with regional and global peers, and learn from diverse experiences in tackling climate challenges. By engaging with stakeholders from government, international organizations, and the private sector, PASHA Holding enhanced its capacity to drive sustainable development initiatives in Azerbaijan and beyond.

Aytaj Mukhtazada, Head of PR and Communications at PASHA Holding, remarked:

COP29 has been an extraordinary platform for us to amplify our sustainability vision and forge valuable connections. The insights gained and partnerships established here will enable us to align our strategies with global climate objectives while addressing the unique needs of our region. This experience underscores the importance of collaboration in creating impactful, long-term solutions to the challenges we all face.”

Key elements of PASHA Holding’s sustainability strategy include minimizing the environmental impact of its own operations, investing in projects that support the transition to net zero, and investing in technological innovation to address the challenges presented by climate change. In the near future, the group plans to conduct comprehensive diagnostics and gap analysis across its subsidiaries to set specific goals to decrease our carbon footprint, including supply chain, support the customers in their transition journeys and increase investments in green initiatives. Additionally, PASHA is committed to empowering its stakeholders through education and collaboration, ensuring that sustainability is embedded across the wider economy. These plans include supporting the development of a sustainable SME landscape in the country, aiding farmers in their green transition, and supporting innovation for developing decarbonization solutions.

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SOURCE PASHA Holding

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Global Times: China vows to promote steady growth of foreign trade

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BEIJING, Nov. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Officials from five Chinese departments including the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the People’s Bank of China vowed to promote the steady growth of foreign trade at a press conference held on Friday in a move experts said is part of a package of policy measures to inject impetus and confidence into stabilizing the economy and help realize its annual economic targets.

Meanwhile, at the same press conference, the vice commerce minister highlighted China’s capacity in dealing with external shocks in the first explicit, publicly known response by a senior commerce official to the impact of the US’ potential 60 percent tariffs on Chinese imports. He stressed tariffs will only lead to high costs for consumers, and a stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-US economic and trade relations will benefit peoples of both countries and the world.

The press conference came after MOFCOM, together with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the People’s Bank of China and the General Administration of Customs rolled out nine measures to support foreign trade, involving support and guidance in insurance, financing, cross-border trade settlement, expanding scope on imports and exports, optimization of trade structure, visa facilitation and transportation.

Analysts noted that the latest move will further enhance the confidence of Chinese foreign trade enterprises, thereby injecting a stable and strong impetus to economic development, helping the country navigate the complexities of the global market.

Policy support

During the press conference, Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Wang Shouwen noted that the policy is aimed at responding to changes in the international trade situation and promoting solutions to practical difficulties faced by foreign trade enterprises in financing and maritime transport.

The raft of policy measures aimed at promoting the steady growth of foreign trade was deliberated and adopted by a State Council executive meeting on November 8.

The Ministry of Commerce on Thursday unveiled the policy measures in a notice. Among the nine specific measures, financial institutions are encouraged to increase financing support for micro, small and medium-sized companies based on market-oriented and law-based principles.

Efforts should be made to optimize cross-border trade settlement, promote the development of cross-border e-commerce, expand agricultural product exports, and support the imports of key equipment and energy resources, said the notice.

The overall situation of China’s foreign trade is relatively optimistic, but at the same time we should also see that uncertainties continue to accumulate. Maintaining stable growth in foreign trade and sustained improvement in competitiveness cannot be separated from policy support, Zhou Mi, a senior research fellow at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said on Friday.

“The timely joint efforts by five Chinese departments enhanced the confidence and expectations of Chinese foreign trade enterprises, and the measures will effectively help address problems of current foreign trade and future uncertainties,” Li Yong, a senior research fellow at the China Association of International Trade, told the Global Times on Friday.

Stable growth in foreign trade can provide more impetus for the domestic economy. The nine measures are part of a package of policy measures to inject growth momentum and confidence into stabilizing the economy, which will help realize the country’s annual economic targets, Wang Peng, an associate research fellow at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, said on Friday.

“Consumption, investment, exports and market sentiment all improved in October, and this trend is highly likely to continue in the last two months of the year, as the confidence of enterprises and consumers has been shored up thanks to the support policies,” Wang Peng told the Global Times.

Resilient against external shocks

At the press conference on Friday, Wang Shouwen also stressed that China has the capacity in dealing with external shocks largely owing to its resilient and vibrant economy that has great potential in a response to a question on the impact of the US’ potential 60 percent tariffs on Chinese imports.

China is building a “dual circulation” development pattern, which takes the domestic market as the mainstay while allowing domestic and international markets to reinforce each other. We are capable of resolving and withstanding the impact of external shocks, the official told reporters.

Wang Shouwen noted that history has also shown that the imposition of tariffs on China by a country does not solve the problem of its own trade deficit, on the contrary, it pushes up the prices of the country’s imports from China as well as from other countries.

This is because the tariffs are ultimately paid for by the consumers and the end-users of the importing country, which inevitably leads to an increase in the prices paid by consumers and an increase in the costs to the users, which also leads to inflation, the vice commerce minister further elaborated.

The vice commerce minister said that China and the US are the two largest economies in the world, and have strong complementarities. We believe that if China and the US can maintain a stable, healthy and sustainable development trend in their economic and trade relations, it will be beneficial to both the Chinese people and the American people, as well as the people of all countries in the world, and this is also what the international community expects, he said.

China is willing to engage in dialogue with the US on the basis of the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, in a bid to expand areas of cooperation, manage differences, and promote the stability of the bilateral trade and economic and trade relationship, Wang Shouwen said, noting that China will also firmly safeguard its own sovereignty, security and development interests.

Chinese companies have advantages in ordering, transportation, warehousing and other export-related areas that are difficult for other countries to replace, due to their complete supply chain and high production efficiency, Li said.

“Moreover, the country’s economic resilience provides enough market size to address some of the external risks. In particular, China has continued to promote new dynamics in foreign trade and new quality productive forces, which will cultivate new international competitive advantages,” Li noted.

“Years of China-US trade and investment have made the two sides interdependent. In addition to providing US consumers with cost-effective products, China’s exports of its intermediate products have become embedded in the US supply chain and have become part of the competitiveness of many US industries,” Li said, noting that the US needs to maintain rationality in its economic and trade policy toward China.

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SOURCE Global Times

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ZICC: Closer China- Honduras Ties

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BEIJING, Nov. 23, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Renato Florentino, vice president of Honduras, accepted an exclusive interview with ZICC in Wuzhen during the 2024 World Internet Conference Wuzhen Summit. He said that China’s advancements in transportation, communication, and computing impressed him a lot. “We hope to continue to promote the cooperation between Honduras and China and maintain close cooperative relations,” he said.

SOURCE ZICC

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