BIZ BAHRAIN JAN-FEB 2018

Interview | Khalid Almoayed
an open market, but this has also led to
problems like several malls in the same
street. So the question then becomes, how
many more shops can you deal with, and
how many can you afford to be present in
as a business?
We will always support the
government rules and regulations
because we know that they are looking
at the greater good. We want our country
to be well known, our country to be open.
But somebody has to pay the price, and I
am afraid that it is the Bahraini business
community.
As a long time member of the BCCI and as
its Chairman, how have you tried to make
a difference in all this?
BCCI is trying to highlight these
points and they have succeeded to a great
extent, but not everybody can afford to
wait until things get better and this is
why we are concerned. In the role of a
facilitator, BCCI explains the problems
of the sector to the government and in
turn, we explain to the sector what the
government intends.
The BCCI has now agreed, with the
government, that everybody who is in
business has to be a member of BCCI. I
think that this will be good for the BCCI
because they will now be able to stand
up and be a truly representative body of
everybody.
As 2017 comes to end, what would you like
to highlight for our readers?
I am optimistic rather that things
will improve. Things will improve for the
private sector, but there are many things
that have to be addressed first. We have
elections of the Chamber in two months’
time and new faces will appear and I hope
they will have better luck in addressing
the issues. We are entering a new era.
The electorate in the chamber was 8000
people, but with the new additions, it will
be 50,000, which holds many challenges.
Will you stand for elections again?
No I am not going to. I think I would
like to give a chance to other younger
people. Four years is a long time and
there is a limit to what you can do. I
have had the support of the His Majesty
the King, and His Royal Highnesses the
Prime Minister and the Crown Prince.
As much as I would want to stay, I also
think its time to move on and give it to
somebody else. Bahrain is a small place
and there are only a certain number of
senior people to consult with so I will be
available for that if they need my support
and my advice.
I was elected when I was just 30 years
old and I was the youngest member on the
Board. There was much more cohesion in
the community at that time and there was
some prestige in being front seat.
I still enjoy a lot of respect but it’s
difficult to defend everybody. When
someone is losing his shop and his
business, it is unfair to expect them to
give respect to people who, in his opinion,
are not doing enough, so you have to
balance it.
It’s a long reel of a film...
People come and go
and we have to make
sure there is some sort
of continuity for the
country.
You touched upon how Bahrain has
changed over the years. You have literally
been there, seen every change in the last
so many years.
Yes I have been around for a while!
There are many people older than me as
well in Bahrain; people who have survived
through far less pleasant conditions in
the old days. We came into the 70’s, which
is a landmark period for Bahrain, and it
was a wonderful period of awakening.
Progress was made on all fronts and the
financial sector blossomed. In fact, the
whole economy blossomed and it felt like
we couldn’t do anything wrong! When
there is a big wave, it takes everybody
with it. Now times are difficult, and it’s not
only Bahrain, the whole world is suffering.
It is going to be a challenging period on
every front.
Your life has been so fascinating; I hope
your memoir is in progress!
I don’t think I have done enough to
justify a memoir! We are simple people.
There are people who ask you questions
and they expect the right answers, but
there is no right answer. The conditions
around us change every day. The floor
keeps moving. It’s like you say, you
can’t expect the same performance if
you move the goal post. If you move the
goal to another place, the whole match
changes! The ground is again shifting
now, and changes have to be made on
the playing field. Politically and socially
it is more challenging for our leadership
to balance the act.
To just quickly take a step back to the
time when you started off your career.
Are there any reminiscences and
memories that you would like to share?
I graduated as a civil engineer
from the University of Birmingham in
England. Those days your father decides
what you want to be. My father said to
me, You be an engineer, and I said, Okay.
I never regretted it!
After my graduation, I worked as an
engineer for 10 years. At that time my
late brother was called to be Minister
of Information, and so I had to take his
place in the shop, in business. That’s
then I joined Chamber of Commerce.
It’s been a very exciting learning
experience. I made a lot of friends as an
engineer and I was a founding member
of the Bahrain Engineers Society and the
Vice Chairman.
It’s a long reel of a film, but it’s been
so interesting to meet people from all
over the world. People come and go and
we have to make sure there is some
sort of continuity for the country. At
times my work with the Chamber feels
like a thankless job, because despite
the commitment and passion, you face
many challenges and you do it only
because of something within you that
makes you feel it matters.
Did you feel you were making a
difference?
When you have given a commitment,
when you have given your word to serve,
you have to do it well. I think we, as a
Chamber, have done well. There have
been a few misunderstandings and
arguments but as the man in charge you
have to balance the act. That’s the story
with all positions of authority.
The journey has truly been fun. I’ve
enjoyed the ride. And I enjoyed talking
to you. Thank you, for drawing my
attention to my own life by asking me
these questions.
January-February 2018
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