business bites Bahrainthismonth.com November 2024 61 BAHRAIN ASSOCIATION OF BANKS ELECTS NEW BOARD The Bahrain Association of Banks (BAB) convened its annual general meeting, presided over by the current Chairman of the Board, Adnan Yousif, and held under the supervision of the Central Bank of Bahrain. During the meeting, a new Board of Directors was elected for the 2024-2026 term. The newly appointed board members include Yaser Alsharifi, Ahmed Alkharji, Dalal Al Qais, Rafik Nayed, Hisham AlRayes, Othman Ahmed, Sattam Algosaibi, Abdulwahid Janahi, Abdulla Bukhowa, Sara Abdulhadi, Dr. Boutros Klink and Joseph Gharib. Following the election, the Board convened for its first session, where Mr. Alsharifi was elected as Chairman, Mr. Alkharji as Deputy Chairman, and Ms. Al Qais as Treasurer. “BAB is now entering a new phase, prepared to adapt to industry developments and seize emerging opportunities within the evolving business and financial landscape, with the aim of driving sustainable growth for the banking sector and its stakeholders,” says Mr. Alsharifi. Furthermore, he highlighted the association’s commitment to advancing its strategic goals, which includes strengthening the banking sector, streamlining operational processes, capitalising on emerging opportunities and reinforcing the association’s identity. GOOGLE CLOUD CERTIFICATIONS TO EMPOWER BAHRAIN’S WORKFORCE ThinkSmart for Development and Training announced its new status as a Google Cloud Authorised Training Partner and a Google Cloud Partner Level partner for the Service engagement model, delivering Google Cloud’s globally recognised official Training Course Catalogue across the Gulf. This collaboration aims to enable professionals in the region to develop expertise in key areas including cloud computing, data engineering, and machine learning. “This partnership strengthens our commitment to driving the region’s digital transformation by equipping professionals with future-proof skills, crucial for thriving in the rapidly evolving cloud-driven tech landscape,” says Thinksmart CEO, Ahmed Al Hujairy. ThinkSmart offers a wide range of Google Cloud training content tailored to meet the needs of organisations and individuals. These courses deliver industry-recognised credentials and practical, hands-on skills, with training paths for Professional Cloud Architect, Professional Data Engineer, and Professional Machine Learning Engineer roles. The training focuses on designing, developing, and managing Google Cloud infrastructure, building data processing systems and creating AI-driven solutions using Google Cloud technologies. Thinksmart General Manager, Aakash Munjal, adds: “Our partnership with Google Cloud enables organisations and individuals to upskill and innovate, driving tangible results that align with the region’s ambitious digital strategies.” BAHRAIN RECORDS REAL ECONOMIC GROWTH OF 1.3 PERCENT IN Q2 2024 National accounts estimates issued by the Information & eGovernment Authority showed that the real GDP of the Kingdom of Bahrain increased by 1.3 percent and by 2.4 percent at current prices during the second quarter of 2024 compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year. The detailed report indicates that the growth is due to the increase achieved by the non-oil sector by 2.8 percent at constant prices, as the GDP at constant prices reached BD3722 million and BD4377 million at current prices during the second quarter of 2024. The report shows that the activities of the manufacturing sector ranked first in terms of relative contribution to GDP at current prices in the second quarter of 2024, contributing 18.9 percent, followed by the activities of the finance and insurance sector with a contribution of 16.4 percent.
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