MP Al-Saloum meets officials of the Egyptian “Ebda” initiative to localize industry and support small businesses

Discussing ways of cooperation between the two sides to transfer the experience to the small industries sector in Bahrain

- William: We have 3 main goals: providing job opportunities, localizing modern industries, and reducing the import gap

MP Ahmed Sabah Al-Saloum, Chairman of the Arab Union for Trade Facilitation and Chairman of the Bahrain Society for the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises, met with Eng. Mina William, CEO of "Ebdaa" Company and the company's work team, which is the executive arm of the "Ebdaa" initiative, one of the initiatives of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, which falls under the title "Decent Life". The "Ebdaa" initiative aims to localize Egyptian industries by supporting small companies and entrepreneurs in particular and reviving Egyptian industry in cities and villages... and transforming Egyptian villages into productive industrial villages.

The meeting was attended by Eng. Yasmine Kamal, Nahal Al-Ashqar and Rabab Musa from the "Ebdaa" initiative team, in addition to media figure Karim Hamed, Eng. Mustafa Sami and Mr. Salah Abdel Hadi from the Bahrain Society for the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises.

The meeting discussed ways of cooperation between the Egyptian and Bahraini sides in this regard, and benefiting from Egyptian and international expertise in this initiative, which has achieved distinguished successes since its inception.

MP Al-Saloum gave a simplified explanation of the Bahrain Society for the Development of Small and Medium Enterprises in Bahrain, and the role it plays in serving the entrepreneurship and small enterprises sector, referring to the society's activity in relation to the incubators sector. His Excellency Al-Maeb also gave an explanation of the role of the Arab Union for Trade Facilitation and Risk Management, which was recently announced, and its role and objectives in serving inter-Arab trade by facilitating customs procedures and unifying specifications and standards for Arab goods, as well as eliminating black markets that negatively affect national economies.

MP Al-Saloum expressed his happiness with this meeting, expressing his great admiration for the initiative that is based on scientific principles and disciplined standards in its work, and that it has achieved successes on the ground.. indicating that the initiative can be used to develop some heritage and handicraft industries, workshops and small factories in Bahrain in cooperation with Egypt and international institutions that cooperated with the "Ebda" initiative, taking into account the privacy of Bahraini society.

MP Al-Saloum called on the initiative's work team to visit the Kingdom of Bahrain and closely review the work of the society and stand on ways of cooperation between the Egyptian and Bahraini sides in coordination with the relevant authorities responsible for the industrial sector and entrepreneurship in the Kingdom.

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi launched the "Ebdaa" initiative during the "First International Industry Forum and Exhibition" on October 29, 2022, as an initiative that works primarily to support and localize national industries to rely on local products and reduce imports, by enhancing the role of the Egyptian private sector in localizing many large, medium, small and micro industries in Egypt.. Ebdaa Company is the executive arm to achieve the initiative's goals

For his part, Eng. Mina William reviewed during the meeting a documentary film about the "Decent Life" initiative sponsored by President El-Sisi since its inception, focusing on the reasons for the initiative, its goals and the successes achieved on the ground since its launch.

William said, "The National Initiative for the Development of Egyptian Industry "Ebdaa" seeks to achieve three main goals: providing job opportunities, localizing modern industries, and reducing the import gap, by qualifying Egyptian workers, removing obstacles facing struggling factories, and constructing new factories in Egypt. The "Ebdaa" initiative is also an economic arm of the "Decent Life" initiative, and its goals are integrated with the state's national goals, international commitments, and efforts to achieve sustainable economic and social growth, provide clean energy solutions, and innovation in the industrial field, consumption, and production.

He added, "This will be done by adding new investments to the industrial sector worth 200 billion pounds and providing about 150,000 direct and indirect job opportunities over the next four years."

The work axes of the National Initiative for the Development of Egyptian Industry "Ebdaa" are divided into three axes: the major projects axis, the industries support axis, and the research, development, and training axis.