Tamkeen: Continually dedicated to developing human capital and empowering Bahraini citizens

The 45th International Federation of Training and Development Organisations (IFTDO) conference and exhibition concluded its 3-day activities, with the participation of over 400 delegates from 36 countries.

 Held under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the exhibition was held at Crown Plaza Hotel. Key participants included the University of Manchester, which dispatched 55 students to attend and benefit from the conference activities.

Topics of discussion by experts included leadership and return on investment, women’s leadership in the Middle East, management of multigenerational workforce in the GCC and the innovative leadership in the new Internet era. Experts also addressed additional issues such as means to invest in talents and tackle growing business challenges.

The conference has attracted many partners, reflecting an increasing interest in the development of human resources. Tamkeen, the key strategic partner of this year’s conference, has supported the event based on the organisation’s own belief in the significance of advancing human capital.

Tamkeen’s Chief Executive Dr. Ebrahim Janahi said: “We are proud that the Kingdom of Bahrain has hosted the 45th IFTDO Conference and Exhibition, especially for a second time, organised under the patronage of HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister. Bahrain seeks to develop and invest in its human capital at various institutions, including university and school students. Tamkeen’s strategy aims at enhancing this support, making Bahraini citizens the employees of choice in the job market, particularly in the private sector. Our support and partnership stem from Tamkeen’s core belief in the importance of continued investment in the development of human capital.”

A number of ministers participated in the conference, which was hosted by Bahrain for the second time. Minister of Energy Dr Abdul-Hussain bin Ali Mirza discussed the topic, “The Future is Today – Leadership and Change Management,” where he found that Bahrain incubates major firms focusing on human resources as a key investment.  Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism Zayed bin Rashid AlZayani also addressed the conference.

Discussions at the conference covered a variety of topics related to human resource development and training, including, “Innovative Leadership in the new Internet Era” by Hani Nofal, Vice President of Intelligent Network Solutions, GBM of UAE; “Investing in People … Knowing the Value” by Dr. Jack Phillips, founder and CEO of the ROI Institute of the United States; “Organisation Transformation – Inspiring and Motivating your Team” by Muna Al Hashemi, Batelco CEO of the Kingdom of Bahrain; and “The Challenge of Leadership in a Changing World” by Peter Cheese, CEO of CIPD, UK.

Nasser Al Nafisee, the IFTDO Chair of the Executive Board, added: “HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa’s patronage of the conference and exhibition demonstrates his interest in the importance of human resources, integral to development throughout the world, as we are witnessing major advances in information technology.”

For his part, Mohammed Al Shaikh, president of IFTDO and Bahrain Society for Training and Development, remarked on the Kingdom’s second time hosting the conference in his opening remarks: “We are proud that Bahrain has hosted 45th edition of IFTDO conference. We had the honour of organising the 31st edition for the first time in 2002.” He expressed his gratitude and appreciation for HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister, for his patronage.

Al Shaikh added: “This year, the conference was organised under the theme “Lessons from Leaders”, set to highlight innovative ideas of human resources management experts.”

Concluding his remarks, Al Shaikh thanked all sponsors and partners of the conference, primarily Tamkeen in its role as a key strategic partner, as well as Saudi Arabia’s Aramco, National Bank of Bahrain, Gulf Petrochemical Industries Company, VIVA, Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), Bahrain Airport Services, Kuwait Finance House, Bahrain Petroleum Company, Ithmaar Bank and Bahrain National Gas.