First Innovation Forum by MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab to Launch in Bahrain

The MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab announced the launch of its first Innovation Forum in partnership with Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) and Investcorp , a leading provider and manager of alternative investment products. The forum will take place at the Four Seasons Hotel in Bahrain on the 27^th and 28^th of September with the expected participation of over 400 people including innovative startups, researchers, entrepreneurs and investors, along with CEOs, CTOs and CIOs from the world's leading tech companies as well as policy makers and the media.

     (Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/552486/MITEF_Pan_Arab.jpg )

This event is the first of its kind in the Arab world, falling within the vision and objectives of the MIT Enterprise Forum (MITEF) for the Pan Arab Region, which aims to develop and promote a culture of entrepreneurship, innovation and technological proliferation in this part of the world. This goes hand in hand with the Kingdom of Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030, a goal towards a prosperous economic climate that is based on sustainability, fairness and competitiveness. The forum will also welcome a large number of regional and international speakers, focusing on the latest technologies and the latest scientific research in the field. Speakers will discuss several issues, including Fintech, an emerging financial services sector that will shape the future of the industry and other topics including autonomous vehicles, Artificial Intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, and cloud computing, while also dissecting the latest findings and trends.

Hala Fadel, Chairperson of the MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab stressed the importance of this forum, which will constitute a unique occurrence especially in terms of the discussed topics as well as the rich crowd of tech experts, innovators and entrepreneurs this event brings together from all over the world. She said, "The forum aspires to gather the brightest minds in the academic, corporates, and startup communities in an effort to glean insight into the innovations that shape the world economy, which are the product of both global and regional businesses. The forum will also discuss and analyze this fast-paced world we live in and its impact on our lives. It will play a significant role in raising awareness about what's happening around the world today and how to go about attaining a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship in the Arab world."  

Also, commenting on this partnership and the Innovation Forum, H.E. Khalid Al Rumaihi, Chief Executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) said, "Innovation and digital disruption are important drivers of economic growth globally. In Bahrain, both the government and private sector have worked hard to create an ecosystem that will allow innovation to thrive. The high standards of hard infrastructure, such as excellent transport connections to regional markets and world-class ICT services, as well as soft infrastructure, such as supportive regulation, mean that Bahrain is an ideal testing ground for entrepreneurs looking to launch products and services before expanding to the wider region.

"Forums such as these are essential if we are to encourage innovation in our economies - allowing us to learn and collaborate with each other. We at the EDB are proud to have supported MIT in getting its first Innovation Forum off the ground. I hope that it will set the standard for events to come and that the entrepreneurs passing through our doors this year will be engineering solutions to the world's problems in the future."

Investcorp's Co-CEO Mohammed Al-Shroogi said: "Investcorp has always been a strong supporter of innovation and entrepreneurship, in the Arab world. Guided by the importance of these two pillars to Bahrain's Economic Vision 2030, we are pleased to be part of this remarkable initiative, which fits perfectly with our long-term commitment to building an innovation-led economy, that accommodates to the growing importance of new trends like fintech and cybersecurity in Bahrain and the wider region. We look forward to welcoming some of the world's best innovation and entrepreneurship leaders at this Forum to discuss with them the best ways to optimize talent and innovation in the Arab world."

To register for the Innovation Forum, taking place in Bahrain, potential participants must register online on the following link.

About MITEF Pan Arab:

Founded in 2005, the MIT Enterprise Forum of the Pan Arab Region (http://www.mitefarab.org) is one of the 28 worldwide chapters of the MIT Enterprise Forum Global, an avid promoter of entrepreneurship and innovation worldwide. The MIT Enterprise Forum- Pan Arab has a proven record in promoting MIT-style entrepreneurship by organizing each year the MIT Enterprise Forum Arab Startup Competition targeting 21 countries of the Arab region and attracting over 12,000 entrepreneurs a year.

About the Bahrain Economic Development Board  

The Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) is an investment promotion agency with overall responsibility for attracting investment into the Kingdom and supporting initiatives that enhance the investment climate.  

The EDB works with the government and both current and prospective investors, in order to ensure that Bahrain's investment climate is attractive, to communicate the key strengths, and to identify where opportunities exist for further economic growth through investment.

The EDB focuses on several economic sectors that capitalise on Bahrain's competitive advantages and provide significant investment opportunities. These sectors include financial services, manufacturing, ICT, tourism, logistics and transport. The financial services sector is particularly strong in Bahrain and the EDB works to support the continued growth of the banking industry and key sub-sectors, including Islamic finance.

For more information on the Bahrain EDB visit http://www.bahrainedb.com; for information about Bahrain visit http://www.bahrain.com.    

About Investcorp:  

A leading provider and manager of alternative investment products and is publicly traded on the Bahrain Bourse (INVCORP). Investcorp focuses on generating investor and shareholder value through a disciplined investment approach in four lines of business: corporate investment, real estate, alternative investment solutions (formerly known as hedge funds), together with the recently added credit management business. Investcorp employs approximately 390n people across its offices in New York, London, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Singapore.