اخبار البحرين – وطن نيوز
W6nnews.com ==== وطن === تاريخ النشر – 2026-02-16 00:46:00
Twenty years of empowerment…and the beginning of a new decade of national leadership. Tamkeen reveals the features of its 2030 strategy with fundamental transformations, innovation, and professional paths that enhance the growth of the private sector. A new strategy that focuses on the most influential sectors and places the Bahraini at the heart of priorities. Exclusive – (US) Manama, February 15 (US) / CEO of the Labor Fund “Tamkeen”, Ms. Maha Mufeez, confirmed that the Fund is entering a new phase of development work today, based on twenty years of economic and social impact that contributed to Strengthening the role of the private sector and raising the efficiency of national cadres, noting that the next stage will witness a qualitative shift in programs and policies to keep pace with the requirements of the labor market and enhance the competitiveness of the national economy. Mafeez explained during the press conference held by Tamkeen to review the Fund’s progress and future strategy, that Tamkeen began in 2006 by laying the foundation stone for the Fund’s initiatives and consolidating its role in supporting the private sector, to stand today in front of an impressive tally of achievements that we are proud of. Mufeez stated that since its establishment, Tamkeen has provided extensive economic contributions, including financing exceeding 2.6 billion Bahraini dinars for projects with direct and indirect financing, and has contributed to providing more than 300,000 opportunities to develop Bahrainis, in addition to more than 92,000 opportunities to support institutions. On the employment side, more than 777 million Bahraini dinars were provided for training and employment, while 300,000 opportunities were provided for Bahrainis for training and employment, and 25,000 support opportunities for institutions. As for financing, the total value of loans and support amounts for financing reached 920 million Bahraini dinars, and 22,000 support opportunities for institutions. In the field of supporting institutions, the support amounted to 350 million Bahraini dinars, 21,000 support opportunities were provided to institutions, the volume of unemployment insurance amounted to 340 million Bahraini dinars, and 64 million Bahraini dinars were allocated for business continuity, benefiting 22,000 institutions, in addition to providing 1,500 employment opportunities for Bahrainis. Mafeez said that the Fund is entering a new phase of institutional development twenty years after its establishment, based on a process full of supporting the private sector and enhancing the capabilities of national cadres, as the conference witnessed a review of the features of the future strategy for the period 2026-2030, which focuses on raising the efficiency of programs, directing efforts towards areas with the highest returns, enhancing innovation in a way that contributes to achieving a sustainable economic impact, providing detailed presentations on strategic transformation priorities, redesigning the program portfolio, and developing support mechanisms for individuals and institutions, in addition to reviewing new initiatives aimed at accelerating Growth of small and medium enterprises, and raising the readiness of Bahrainis for the labor market. The importance of data, governance, and performance indicators in ensuring effective implementation of the strategy was also emphasized, thus enhancing Tamkeen’s role as a major partner in supporting economic development in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Professor Maha Mufeez explained that the celebration of the twentieth anniversary of the establishment of the Labor Fund represents an important milestone in reviewing a process full of giving, construction and impact, stressing that the Fund was able during these years to consolidate its role as one of the most important engines of economic and social development in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Mufeez explained that the Fund played a pivotal role in developing national cadres by preparing them, building their capabilities and refining their skills, which enabled them to enter the labor market and develop in it, whether through employment or entrepreneurship paths. She pointed out that this investment in human capital was and remains an essential pillar in achieving sustainable impact, and indicated that the Fund’s role was not limited to supporting individuals only, but also worked to enhance the growth of institutions, strengthen their operational capabilities, expand the scope of their work, and improve their sustainability, which contributed to increasing their contribution to the national economy. Mafeez pointed out that the Fund has proven its flexibility and ability to adapt to challenges, especially during the Corona pandemic, as it launched specific programs to support business continuity, preserve jobs, and mitigate the effects of the crisis on private sector institutions. She indicated that the Fund’s journey passed through five strategic cycles, which reflected a clear development in the work methodology through the first cycle in which the focus was on supporting institutions through grants and financing, then the second cycle, which witnessed the expansion of programs and support for the private sector, with the launch of professional training and certification programs, and then the third cycle, which included supporting larger companies and individuals, and establishing a service center. Customers, and the launch of the first entrepreneurship competition, then the fourth session, which included the response to the Corona pandemic through the “Business Continuity” program and the focus on digitization and automation, leading to the fifth session, which witnessed a great diversity of programs, and the launch of the largest support package for Bahrainis targeting 50,000 beneficiaries within two years, with a greater focus on rehabilitation and human development. Mufeez stated that “Tamkeen” is entering a new phase today that coincides with the twenty-year anniversary of its founding, based on a modern methodology based on assessing gaps and identifying strengths and future needs, in addition to redesigning and implementing programs in cooperation with the Bahrain team, the private sector and beneficiaries to ensure alignment of priorities. She added that the Fund benefits from the best local, regional and global practices to enhance its future performance, noting that the supply and demand model in the labor market has become one of the most important tools that the Fund relies on, by using official data to anticipate future jobs and directing efforts towards training and qualification. In the most in-demand areas. Mafeez confirmed that the Fund has adopted a new vision of empowering institutions to support a productive and sustainable economy that relies on skilled local cadres capable of competing. She also pointed out that the Fund’s new mission focuses on directing efforts towards areas with the highest impact on the economy and Bahrainis by providing qualitative and effective support that meets the needs of institutions and individuals. Mafeez concluded by emphasizing that “Tamkeen” has proven its success in achieving its goals over the past two decades, through its support of the private sector and individuals, its ability to adapt to economic changes, and its focus on planning for the future. By anticipating labor market needs. She also stressed that the close partnership with the private sector will remain the key to the Fund’s success in determining its priorities and developing its programs, reflecting a clear vision towards building a strong and sustainable economy based on national competencies. For her part, Ms. Alia Al-Aali – Executive Vice President of Strategy and Visions, spoke about the Fund’s future strategy, which is based on an ambitious vision that requires setting clear strategic priorities, stressing that the next stage will witness fundamental and comprehensive transformations that include internal institutional work and support mechanisms provided to individuals and institutions. Al-Aali explained that the Fund is moving towards moving from the concept of empowerment to leadership, so that its role is not limited to implementing large-scale programs, but rather it becomes an institution with a national pioneering thought capable of initiative and impact. She pointed out that relying on data and analysis will be a fundamental focus in shaping the future of the labor market and the private sector in Bahrain, and indicated that the new strategy will focus on areas with the highest returns for Bahrainis and the national economy, in addition to adopting an approach based on creating economic opportunities, focusing on priorities, and ensuring inclusiveness in the target groups. She added that the Fund will adopt a flexible and stimulating program structure to enhance its ability to respond to future changes, noting that the strategy aims to enhance the Fund’s role in developing individuals and raise their readiness to compete. Al-Aali confirmed that during the conference, strategic priorities and initiatives for the next five years were reviewed, which constitute a clear road map for institutional transformation, and reflect a focus on innovation and leadership, and putting the citizen and the national economy at the forefront of concerns. As for Mr. Khalid Al-Bayati – Executive Vice President for Program Development and Implementation, he explained that the Fund is currently working on redesigning the program portfolio to achieve a higher impact through six new pillars, focusing on areas that generate greater value for Bahrainis and the national economy. Al-Bayati stated that the six pillars include developing and developing Bahraini skills, enhancing professional readiness and entry into the labor market, and the presence of employment and career development incentives, while supporting the private sector and launching emerging projects, the growth and expansion of small and medium enterprises, and innovating business models for medium and large enterprises. He stated that work is underway to redesign the programs internally, to be launched gradually starting next month, stressing that the design of the programs is based on accurate data and analysis of future trends, in addition to cooperation with public and private sector partners. Al-Bayati pointed out that the Fund is working to raise the efficiency of procedures related to accepting applications and payments through increased automation and the use of artificial intelligence techniques, pointing to the development of new payment methods that contribute to accelerating operations. He pointed out that the Fund adopts seven key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure success at the macroeconomic level and the application level. And the level of training, to ensure clarity of results and effectiveness of implementation. He explained that the announcement of training 50,000 Bahrainis in the fields of artificial intelligence by 2030 reflects the Fund’s commitment to investing in human capital, stressing that the next stage will witness greater cooperation with partners to achieve tangible results that support economic development. He also stressed that innovation represents a major focus in the next stage, whether through supporting innovative projects or encouraging the private sector to adopt new ideas that enhance sustainability and create higher-quality jobs. In a special statement to the media on the sidelines of the conference, Professor Maha Mufeez said that celebrating the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Labor Fund “Tamkeen” represents a major milestone for reviewing the Fund’s achievements in supporting the private sector and working Bahrainis. She explained that the Fund’s new strategy is based on four strategic priorities that include directing support towards the most influential areas and the fastest growing sectors, with a focus on small and medium enterprises that represent more than 93% of the private sector, developing the skills of Bahrainis and linking them to the opportunities available in the labor market, and supporting the growth of… Expanding the private sector, encouraging partnerships between large and emerging companies, and enhancing governance, performance indicators and institutional culture to ensure the success of the strategy. Mafeez confirmed that the fund is moving from the stage of general support to the stage of direct economic impact that focuses on developing skills and creating quality opportunities, noting that innovation and strategic partnerships will be among the most important drivers of the next stage. Mafeez concluded her statement by emphasizing that “Tamkeen” will continue its role as one of the most important national enablers, by investing in Bahraini competencies, supporting institutions, and promoting innovation, which contributes to building a strong and sustainable economy. From: Samah Allam A.S., N.A., MB
