BizBahrain Magazine (May-June 2019)

Highlights | Other Business
A.I Academy
launch at Bahrain
Polytechnic
The Labour Fund
“Tamkeen”, in cooperation
with Bahrain Polytechnic
and Microsoft, has recently
announced the inauguration
of the Artificial Intelligence
Academy in Bahrain
Polytechnic, with the aim
of providing a platform to
enhance innovation and
creativity capabilities of the
youth in the field of artificial
intelligence.
The inauguration of
the Academy follows the
directives of His Highness
Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad
Al Khalifa, First Deputy
President of the Supreme
Council for Youth and
Sports and Chairman
of Bahrain Olympic
Committee, instructing
to accelerate including
academic specialisations
that are related to artificial
intelligence in the educational
system of the Kingdom of
Bahrain, especially after the
remarkable participation
of the youth in the annual
“Khalid Bin Hamad Contest
for Innovation in Artificial
Intelligence”, a demonstration
of Bahrain’s youth’s
willingness to engage in the
A.I. field.
The Academy will aim to
train and qualify 60 trainee
students from Bahrain’s
schools and universities
as well as their teachers
using an integrated syllabus
incorporating artificial
intelligence, data analysis,
data science and machine
basics.
The programme is
considered to be a key
strategic step that serves
strengthening the leading
regional position of the
Kingdom of Bahrain
in the field of artificial
intelligence technology,
and to qualify a pioneering
class by establishing a
specialised base of Bahraini
competencies and cadres in
the region.
The specialised training
programme will take place
over the course of one year,
wherein trainees must
pass 10 stations and solve
a real-world problem using
knowledge and expertise
gained to complete the
programme.
Alba expands
Production &
Sales volume
Tim Murray
Chief Executive Officer, Alba
Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C.
(Alba), on the go to be
transformed into the largest
smelter in the world, expands
its overall sales volume
Special discounts on Cargo exports
Export Bahrain signed an
exclusive partnership
with Gulf Air’s Falcon Cargo
to provide SMEs in Bahrain,
exporting their goods to the
tune of 100 kilograms or above,
with special discount of up to
40% on their cargo exports.
Highlighting the
importance of this initiative,
Export Bahrain’s Chief
Executive, Dr. Nasser Qaedi
said, “Export Bahrain is
and throughput for the first
quarter of 2019 despite the
downward pressure on LME
prices.
The sales’ volume topped
257,113 metric tonnes (mt) in
this quarter, up by 2% Yearover-Year
(YoY) while the
production jumped to 272,707
mt, up by 5% YoY. Alba closed
this quarter with Value-Added
(VA) Sales averaging 52% of
total shipments versus 58%
for the same period in 2018.
Commenting on Alba’s
Sales’ volume and Production
for Q1 2019, Alba’s Chief
Executive Officer, Tim Murray
said, “We are very pleased to
have kicked-off 2019 strong
despite market volatility.
As we get closer to fully
ramp-up Line 6 within Q3
2019, Alba will be positioned
to further improve its
operational performance and
build upon the progress we
made since we started Line 6
Expansion Project.”
looking to build a repertoire
of different types of solutions
and offerings like this one
to enable exporters to make
that journey into the area of
exporting their products and
services much easier. We are
pleased to have the national
carrier support us in this
direction and we are sure
that SMEs will benefit from
not just the fast connections
from its Bahrain hub but
also to actively participate
in promoting the national
objectives of economic
development with this
promising opportunity.”
Gulf Air’s Chief Executive
Officer, Mr. Krešimir Kučko
said, “Our most important
strategy pillar is to contribute
to the economy of the
Kingdom of Bahrain and as
we signed the partnership
with Export Bahrain, we are
facilitating export services
for SMEs in Bahrain at
preferential rates. We want
to support the small and
medium-sized enterprises
to export their goods to the
outer world and show pride in
the Kingdom’s manufactured
products. This is the start of
a good potential for Gulf Air,
Export Bahrain and SMEs in
Bahrain”.
SMEs can have their
application registered and
processed through Export
Bahrain office located in Bait
Al Tijjar building, to avail the
discount and process their
exports.
66 May-June 2019