Manama: Mahmood Rafique, Editor: The GCC event management industry, which reached $6.88 billion in 2025, has huge growth potential and Bahrain has all necessary infrastructure to become a destination of choice for hosting events and becomes events hub in the region.
This was crux of the workshop organised by the Bahrain Development Bank (BDB) in co-operation with Bahrain Tourism and Exhibition Authority (BTEA) at the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) with the participation of event management companies.
Dalal Al Qais, Group Chief Executive Officer of BDB, highlighted the importance of this segment and how it could be a key in the SME growth in general and event management in specific. She also talked at length in QA session about the BDB commitment to the private sector.
The event was held in collaboration with the BTEA the workshop attracted owners, professionals in the events management sector and the interactive event, the first of its kind organised by ant bank, provided a rare opportunity to the private sector representatives to explore the opportunities of co-operation and discussing the opportunities and challenges faced by this sector.
The BDD says the initiative forms part of joint efforts to strengthen private-sector participation in developing Bahrain’s events ecosystem and enable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to capitalise on emerging growth opportunities within the sector.
Held at the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), the workshop brought together representatives from BTEA and BDB, alongside several specialised companies operating in events management and organisation. It provided a platform to exchange insights into the current state of the sector and ways to advance it in line with the 2022-2026 Tourism Strategy. Participants also explored opportunities to strengthen the capacity of national enterprises to organise and attract regional and international events in the Kingdom.
Discussions also examined mechanisms to support SME growth by fostering innovation and investment and reinforcing collaboration between national entities and the private sector to further solidify Bahrain’s position as a leading destination for events of regional and international calibre.
Interactive sessions also centred around access to project financing, the requirements for delivering major events, and ways to develop the operational capabilities of SMEs. These engagements aimed to improve the readiness of these establishments to meet market needs and enhance their competitiveness within the Kingdom’s events industry.
