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www.bahrainthisweek.com Follow us on:SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2020 ISSUE 388

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 20202 bahrainthisweekBAHRAIN NATIONAL DAY SPECIAL

20 PROGRESSIONS IN

2 0 2 0The Kingdom of Bahrain celebrates its National Day on December 16th and 17th marking the anniversary of the establishment of the modern state of Bahrain as an Arab and Muslim country in 1783 by its founder Ahmed Al-Fateh, the 49th Anniversary of its accession to the UN as a full member and the Anniversary of HM the King’s Accession to the Throne.

Just as a valuable pearl gets formed by accepting a foreign body, the Kingdom of Bahrain stands as the home of tolerance and generosity to a wide-reaching global community. Aptly called as ‘The Pearl of Persian Gulf’, the year has witnessed the Kingdom’s determination to overcome adversities by keeping loyalty, integrity, and purity (as symbolized by a pure pearl) in our actions.

As the Kingdom celebrates its 49th National Day, here’s an overview of 20 progressive steps taken by the Kingdom in 2020.

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has delivered Bahrain’s address to the 75th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York via video call.

HM the King’s Representative for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs, His Highness Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, has been granted the Honorary Leadership Personality of the Year Award in the donation field by the International Donor Service Centre- a member of the Regional Network for Social Responsibility (CSR).

The Kingdom of Bahrain celebrated the centennial of the first bank in the country on October 27. The banking sector has great importance in the kingdom for in addition to its historical depth which goes back as early as before the 1920s of the last century, the sector represents one of the pillars of Bahrain’s strategy to diversify sources of revenues and broaden the scope of economic activities.

His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa issued Royal Order 44 / 2020 on November 11th, 2020 appointing His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander, as the Prime Minister.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2020 3bahrainthisweekBAHRAIN NATIONAL DAY SPECIAL

The Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs won the Best Government Project for Youth Empowerment Award in the Arab World for its project “The Making of Elite” during the Arab Government Excellence Award which was organised under the umbrella of the Arab League, in partnership between the UAE Government and the Arab Organisation for Administrative Development.

A number of ministers including His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa took the coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine, as part of their keenness to support the national efforts aimed at confronting the pandemic and limiting its spread. The ministers expressed their deep appreciation for Team Bahrain, led by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, for the proactive efforts they have been taking before the detection of the first COVID-19 case in the Kingdom.

Bahrain's first official government delegation visited Israel as the two countries look to broaden cooperation after establishing formal ties in September in a U.S.-brokered accord. Bahrain and Israel said they would open embassies, establish online visa systems and launch weekly flights between the countries in a broadened cooperation promoted by Washington as an economic boon and means of isolating Iran.The Sept. 15 deal normalising relations spelled a warm peace that will deliver clear benefits to both countries.

Bahrain’s National Space Science Agency (NSSA) has clinched first place in a training programme, entitled “Advanced Geoinformatics”, organised by the University of Twente, the Netherlands.

The Kingdom of Bahrain clinched five awards within the Arab Government Excellence Award which is organised by the Arab League’s Arab Administrative Development Organisation (ARADO), in cooperation with the UAE government. Five ministries and governmental institutions won the awards. Health Ministry which won the Best Arab Government Project for Developing the Health Sector, the Ministry of Labour and Social Development which won the Best Arab Government Project for Community Development for its “Khatwa” programme for home projects; the Interior Ministry’s Customs Directorate was honored with the Best Arab Government Development Initiative award for its Governance of Economic and Customs Information to Facilitate Trade (Ofoq); the Information and eGovernment Authority was picked up for the Best Arab Government Smart App award in recognition of its Tawasul App for the National Suggestion and Complaint system, and the Ministry of Youth and Sport Affairs was selected for its Elite Project which was chosen as the best Arab government project for empowering the youth.

As a visionary step, Bahrain introduced robots for the assistance of COVID-19 patients. Ministry of Health detailed revolutionary use of medical robots in the Kingdom’s fight against coronavirus pandemic.

Bahrain has announced plans to give the public free coronavirus vaccines, as Saudi Arabia said it approved an inoculation by Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech to fight the pandemic. A safe vaccine will be provided free of charge to all citizens and residents within the kingdom.

The Kingdom of Bahrain maintained its second place ranking among Arab countries in the eGovernment Development Index 2020 ranking it among the very high categories, which was formulated based on the results of a 2020 United Nations e-Government Survey. The index and its accompanying report, launched on Friday, 10th July, 2020 by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), also highly ranked the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Oman.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 20204 bahrainthisweek

Bahrain's Port Lions, owned by HH Shaikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa made history as the winner of the first turf race ever run in Saudi Arabia. Bahrain completed a stunning back-to-back double at Riyadh when Dark Power also won the Sprint Cup.

The Kingdom, represented by the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF), received the patrol warship, “RBNS Al-Zubara”, from the British BAE Systems Company.

The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Academy of the Bahrain Technical College (Bahrain Polytechnic) launched the first batch of 38 students.This came under the directives of His Highness Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa, First Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports (SCYS) and President of Bahrain Olympic Committee (BOC).

Bahrain Bourse (BHB) announced achieving “Excellence in Customer Service Award” via the National Suggestions & Complaints System ‘Tawasul’, for its exceptional performance and efficient response via the National Suggestions & Complaints System ‘Tawasul’.

Aluminium Bahrain B.S.C. (Alba), the world’s largest aluminium smelter ex-China, has been honoured with two prestigious awards — Leading Corporate for Investor Relations in Bahrain and Best Investor Relations Professional – Bahrain — at the 2020 Middle East Investor Relations Association (MEIRA) Annual Conference and Awards Ceremony that was held virtually on 22-23 September 2020.

The Kingdom hosted F1 Double Header as penultimate venue for 2020 season. Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) welcomed and honored the Kingdom’s highly appreciated frontline health workers, first responders and their families during the Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2020.

The second season of the Bahrain International Trophy at the Rashid Equestrian Horse racing Club (REHC) on November 20th at Sakhir Racecourse attracted an accomplished international field, furthering the global reach of big-money wintertime racing in the Middle East

An ad-hoc committee set up to manage the contributions made to “Feena Al Khair” campaign has coordinated with the education ministry and distributed 10,000 laptops to students from needy families.

BAHRAIN NATIONAL DAY SPECIAL

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2020 5bahrainthisweekSPORTS

HH SHAIKH NASSER CROWNS NATIONAL DAY ENDURANCE RACE CHAMPION

HM the King’s Representative for Humanitarian Work and Youth Affairs and Honorary President of the Royal Bahrain Equestrian and Endurance Federation (BREEF), HH Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa, crowned jokey Mohammed Abdulhamid Al-Hashimi, from Al-Ruood Stables, the winner of the National Day Endurance Championship.

Vice-President of the Supreme Council for Environment and Deputy Chairman of the Coordination, Implementation and Follow-up Committee at the Supreme Council for Youth and Sport, HH Shaikh Faisal bin Rashid Al Khalifa, and BREEF President, HH Shaikh Isa bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, and Endurance Committee Chairman,

Shaikh Duaij bin Salman Al Khalifa, also attended the 120-Kilometre race, held today at the Bahrain International Endurance Village.

“Victorious” team’s riders Cecilia Garcia and Othman Al-Awadhi clinched the second and third places, respectively.

On the occasion, HH Shaikh Nasser expressed delight at the high level of the 120-km race, noting that the championship was full of excitement, in light of the riders’ desire to claim the championship’s title, and praising Al-Ruood team’s victory thanks to the successful plan put forward by its trainer.

HH Shaikh Nasser indicated that the fierce competition at the National

Day Endurance Championship would motivate all stables and jockeys to prepare well for the upcoming events, especially the race over HH Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa Cup, which will also be full of excitement and enthusiasm.

HH Shaikh Nasser commended the distinguished efforts exerted by BREEF to ensure the success of the championship, which, he said, reflects its high administrative and technical capabilities.

HH Shaikh Nasser congratulated the jockeys who had claimed the first three places, lauding their distinguished performance and keenness to reach the best levels.

HH Shaikh Nasser presented the Board of Directors Chairman of Batelco, Shaikh Khalifa bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, a commemorative gift for Batelco’s sponsorship of the championship, praising the private sector’s keenness to support the youth and sport sectors in Bahrain.

He also presented the Manarat Al-Bahrain Company’s Board of Directors Chairman, Mohammed Al-Manaseer, with a souvenir gift for the company’s provision of cash prizes for jockeys who finish all the stages of the National Day Endurance Championship.

HH Shaikh Nasser was also

presented with a commemorative gift from the Manarat Al-Bahrain Company.

Bateco Board Chairman expressed sincere thanks and appreciation to HH Shaikh Nasser for his unwavering efforts to develop the equestrian sports, in general, and the endurance races, in particular.

He affirmed Bateco’s keenness to sponsor the championship as it is held marking Bahrain's National Days in commemoration of the establishment of the modern Bahraini state as an Arab and Muslim country founded by Ahmed Al Fateh in 1783, the anniversary of its full membership in the United Nations, and the anniversary of His Majesty the King’s Accession to the Throne.

He praised the efforts exerted by BREEF’s President, HH Shaikh Isa bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, board members, committees and referees for ensuring the success of all championships.

Rider Al-Hashimi finished the race in 4 hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds, while second-placed Cecilia Garcia finished it in 4 hours, 15 minutes and 51 seconds and third-placed Othman Al-Awadhi in 4 hours, 18 minutes and 42 seconds.

Male and female jockeys from Kuwait, Spain, Britain, Argentina and Uruguay took part in the 120-km race.

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 20206 bahrainthisweek

As part of its ongoing efforts to develop the Bank’s talent base and continue to build upon its experienced executive team, Al Salam Bank, a leading regional Islamic bank and provider of a comprehensive range of innovative and unique Shari’a-compliant financial products and services headquartered in the Kingdom of Bahrain, recently announced the appointment of Mahmood Qannati, as Head of the Bank’s Marketing & Communications department.

Rafik Nayed, Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) revealed, “We are pleased to welcome Mahmood Qannati to our executive team at Al Salam Bank and wish him all the success in his new position as Head of Marketing and Communications. Mahmood has an earned track record in strategic marketing, and we are confident that he will bring along his creative passion

while implementing the requisite communication outreach programs that will enable the Bank to reach to even greater heights.”

A seasoned banker with over 20 years of extensive experience in Marketing, Communications and Branding on both local and regional levels, Mahmood Qannati is a veteran of the communications industry; having worked across various sectors including Banking, Finance, Automotive, Aviation and Telecommunications. Qannati held several leading positions in established institutions, including the Head of Marketing & Communication at HSBC, Regional Head of Marketing & Branding at Standard Chartered Bank, the Middle East Chief Marketing Officer at Cigna Insurance, and most recently serving Bahrain Islamic Bank (BisB) as Chief Marketing & Corporate Communications Officer prior to joining Al Salam Bank.

AL SALAM BANK BAHRAIN APPOINTS NEW HEAD OF MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

PR THIS WEEK

Three Bahrain Airport Company (BAC) team members have graduated from the globally recognized Airport Management Professional Accreditation Program (AMPAP), which seeks to develop a new generation of airport leaders in all areas of the airport business. Offered jointly by Airports Council International (ACI) and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), two of the world’s leading aviation governing bodies, AMPAP promotes adherence to the highest professional standards, encouraging sharing of best managerial practices, and engendering a broad cross-cultural learning environment.

The BAC team members who received the certification were Abdulmonem Mohamed Alebrahim, from the Finance Division, and Hesham Abdulla Zaman and Eyad Ebrahim Ismaeel, from the Development and Technical Division.

BAC Chief Executive Officer, Mohamed Yousif Al Binfalah said: “The insight Abdulmonem, Hesham, and Eyad have gained from the program will prove invaluable as we prepare to transfer operations to the new terminal. They will be expected to share their knowledge with colleagues to raise Bahrain International Airport’s (BIA) overall

performance. Despite the disruption caused by the global pandemic, they were able complete the AMPAP program virtually, which provided a welcome sense of continuity. We are proud of their dedication and look forward to leveraging their expertise to provide an enhanced airport experience.”

Mr. Al Binfalah added: “We also have several other team members enrolled in this program, who will be graduating soon. Encouraging employees to participate in globally recognised programs such as this supports our strategy of building team members’ abilities and positioning them as future leaders at the new terminal.”

AMPAP is a barometer of professional airport management on a global scale. It is the only airport-related management accreditation program that has been recognized by regulators and ACI and has had over a thousand participants in more than 100 countries.

Candidates who graduate from the program receive the International Airport Professional (IAP) designation; whose holders are recognized as having achieved highly rigorous standards for expertise in the field of airport management. They also become part of the International Airport Professional Community of Practice.

INJAZ Bahrain announced that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Nasser Vocational Training Center (NVTC). The signing ceremony took place virtually with Ms. Hana Sarwani, Executive Director of INJAZ Bahrain, and Dr. Abdulla Al Noaimi, General Director of NCVT.

The MoU confirms INJAZ Bahrain and NCVT’s joint efforts and commitment to catalyze and nurture labor development among the Kingdom of Bahrain’s youth, with the MoU highlighting both parties’ collaboration

in implementing INJAZ Bahrain’s professional youth development programs. Key initiatives include INJAZ Bahrain’s Innovation Camp, Company Program, Job Shadow, Head Start, Career Success and KPMG Life Skills programs.

INJAZ Bahrain is a non-profit organization that was established in 2005 as part of Junior Achievement Worldwide with the aim of empowering young people to own their economic success and be prepared for today's business challenges.

Seef Properties, one of the leading integrated real estate development companies in the Kingdom of Bahrain, recently organized a media tour at Al Liwan project site in Hamala; the latest project in its investment portfolio which is developed by Lama Real Estate Development W.L.L; one of the joint venture companies of Seef Properties.

Held in the presence of Seef Properties Chief Executive Officer and Representative of Lama Real Estate Development, Mr. Ahmed Yusuf, and a number of officials, the tour came to allow members of the local media to stand on the latest developments of the project and to introduce them to its various features.

During the tour, Mr. Ahmed Yusuf briefed the attendees, including journalists and social media influencers, on the development of the project, which covers the retail, entertainment and hospitality sectors, in addition to shedding light on the latest progresses in construction works on the site, the remainder of the development processes and the

final touches to complete the project according to the preset plan.

The 122,000 square meter project of Al Liwan oversees Wali Al Ahd Highway and consists of a wide variety of restaurants, cafes and retail stores, topped with 117 three-storey residential units that overlook stunning views. The units grant residents access to a wide range of international brands and unmatched entertainment facilities within the project. Al Liwan also includes a cinema theatre and the largest family entertainment center in the Kingdom.

On this occasion, Mr. Ahmed Yusuf said: "We are delighted to welcome all representatives of the media in one of the most contemporary and diverse real estate development projects in the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Northern Governorate in particular. We have completed the largest part of the major construction works on the project and we are proceeding at a steady pace to complete the project with all its residential, entertainment and commercial facilities by the first quarter of 2021."

BAHRAIN AIRPORT COMPANY TEAM MEMBERS ACHIEVE GLOBAL AIRPORT MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONAL ACCREDITATION

INJAZ BAHRAIN AND NASSER VOCATIONAL TRAINING CENTER SIGN MOU

'SEEF PROPERTIES' ORGANIZES MEDIA TOUR AT 'AL LIWAN' PROJECT

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 2020 7bahrainthisweekUPDATE

MANAGEMENT PRINCIPLES

When it comes to improving the customer experience using AI, four significant developments stand out: chatbots, predictive and targeted content, content creation, and image recognition technology. Each of these can help to improve customer service and support, as well as deliver more targeted and relevant content. Here’s what you need to know about these technologies and how they can benefit your bottom line.

ChatbotsChatbots can conduct either auditory or textual conversations, the latter usually appearing as chat windows on your computer screen.

Obviously, a chatbot is not going out into the world to market your business. It’s nothing like the kind of marketing channel you’ve used in the past like ads or emails. But chatbots are effective marketing tools specially in social media because they can provide customer service which helps both your customer and your brand, gather data on customers which helps you target your messaging, and deliver those targeted messages on your behalf. Chatbots can even move

customers through the sales funnel by asking more specific questions to help customers find the products they’re looking for.

Predictive and Targeted ContentIn addition to answering questions via chatbots, AI can be used to gather more data about prospects and customers, then AI can use that data to predict future behavior as well as develop more targeted messaging. That content might be delivered by a chatbot as described above, via dynamic content on a web page, or by email. That’s because AI can help to deliver the right email message at the right time by using dynamic content and determining that content based on past customer behavior. By knowing which web pages a customer visited, which blog posts they read, which emails they’ve interacted with and more, AI can intelligently select the content most likely to appeal to a specific customer and automatically populate an email with that content. Using what’s called “churn prediction,” AI can also predict when customers are disengaging from a brand, they help to provide personalized content that’s most likely to appeal to and re-engage them.

Content CreationAnd then there’s the need for vast quantities of content… Ever since the dawn of content marketing, marketers have listed content creation as one of the biggest challenges they face. Creating quality content takes time, and effective marketing requires a lot of it. AI can help, by generating some of that content for you. The content can be articles consisting of hundreds of words and read as if a live human being wrote it. Or the content generated can be more specific, such as the email subject lines and social media ads written in the AI-generated language.

Image Recognition TechnologyLastly, we have image recognition software as an AI tool businesses can use to improve the customer experience. Image recognition has been around for a while, and you’ve probably experienced it on a platform like Facebook when a friend was

AI MARKETINGautomatically tagged in a photo you posted. Image recognition software also helps to personalize customer experiences.

INDONESIAN TRADE PROMOTION NIGHT HELD

The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia for the Kingdom of Bahrain, cooperated with Bahrain-Indonesia Business & Friendship Society (BIBFS) and supported by ASEAN Bahrain Council, has organized a hybrid event of Indonesian Trade Promotion Night which was conducted simultaneously online and offline, in accordance with current policy on social gathering limitation and health protocol application.

The event was held to promote virtual exhibition in Indonesia which would take place on 8 – 13

December 2020, namely Virtual Krista Exhibitions, that exhibit trade expo in 5 sectors concurrently. Those exhibitions are Virtual Eastfood Indonesia Expo 2020, Virtual Seafood Indonesia Expo 2020, Virtual Herbal and Jamu Indonesia Expo 2020, Virtual Refritech Expo 2020, and Indo Licensing Virtual Expo 2020.

In his opening remarks, Ambassador Nur Syahrir Rahardjo said that COVID-19 has pushed everyone to innovate and create a breakthrough, particularly to ensure the wheels of the economy could keep rolling. Therefore,

this year several international exhibitions in Indonesia which regularly visited by Bahrain Business Delegations, such as Trade Expo Indonesia and Krista Exhibitions, held virtually to bring together Indonesian exporters and their business partners from all over the world, including from Bahrain, who curently have limited physical movement to visit Indonesia.

Meawhile, the representation of ASEAN Bahrain Council, Mr. Shabbir Sharafaly, stated the commitment of the council and community to support the economic and trade relations between Indonesia and Bahrain.

During the event, it was also

presented the journey of BIBFS, which was established on August 2018. The Society has been working closely together with the Embassy and has extended valuable support in enhancing the relations of Indonesia and Bahrain.

To explain about the Exhibitions, CEO of Kristamedia who joined virtually from Jakarta, Mr. Daud Salim, provided presentation on how to register and access the exhibitions. The event also offered an Indonesia’s ambience, by presenting Indonesian coffee and culinary as well as videos on tourism spots and cultural performances.

by: Dr. Jassim Haji

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13, 20208 bahrainthisweek

BAHRAIN THIS WEEK IS PUBLISHED BY ADS POINT | ISSN 2210-1098 | www.bahrainthisweek.com FOR ADVERTISING & MARKETING CONTACT 33337972, 35948444. Email: sales@bahrainthisweek.com

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bahrain.bh 8000 8001

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through its Promotional and Sale Campaign Re-quests service. Provided by the Ministry of Indus-try, Commerce and Tourism (Consumer Protection Directorate), in cooperation with the Information & eGovernment Authority (iGA), the service allows business owners with commercial registration (CR) to submit approval requests to run promotional and sales campaigns online.

The service targets different business such as car dealers , food industry such as supermarkets , retails in clothing, banks to mention amongst others.

The Ministry’s Consumer Protection Directorate will inspect before and after sale prices in English and Arabic advertisements free of charge for sales campaign requests. However, requests for approv-al of promotional campaigns, such as special of-fers, raffle draws, scratch and win and so on, do incur fees, which vary according to the duration,

type, and nature of the campaign. Once approval is given by the Directorate, businesses can announce their promotions or discounts on their products and services.

The service is a real time saver, as all proced-ures are carried out online, including fee payments and the issuance of certificates. Receiving approv-al prior to launching these types of campaigns is extremely important as unauthorized launches are considered illegal and could result in legal action taken by the Consumer Protection Directorate.

For more information, please visit the Nation-al Portal, bahrain.bh, or send enquiries through the National Suggestions and Complaints System, Tawasul via the Portal or the Tawasul app, which is available on the eGovernment Apps Store bahrai.bh/apps.

Follow iGA’s accounts on @iGABahrain to be up-dated on all the eServices.

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