A GREAT PARTNER OF TRADE

UK in Bahrain A GREAT PARTNER OF TRADE

With more than 50 years of international business acumen operating in fields such as banking, motoring, manufacturing and more, Khalid Rashid Al Zayani is one of the Kingdom’s most successful businessmen. It is no surprise that he has been elected Chairman of the BBBF numerous times, one of the most important institutions to foster trade between Bahrain and the UK. He explained: “We do a lot of business with the United Kingdom, such as being the exclusive distributor of Land Rover and Range Rover vehicles in the Kingdom, the history of which goes back to the 1940s. One of our companies, Midal Cables, has also manufactured and fitted high tension cables to refit the grid of the UK all the way from Scotland to Wales.” The BBBF was founded in 1995, more as a social club comprising just 16 members, than a business club. Under Mr. Zayani’s leadership, not only has it grown in membership to approximately 500 members, but it has considerably improved business and trade between the UK and Bahrain and set an example for others to follow. Mr. Zayani said: “I believe the BBBF has helped the Bahrain population to engage more with British businesses and vice versa for British businessmen to network in the Gulf. We have specialised groups which meet directly with those figures, whether it is in engineering, banking, industry, trading and many more fields where we have knowledgeable figures who can share advice. “Now that Britain is out of the European Commission, they are no longer curbed by regulations imposed on them. Therefore, we can have a free trade agreement with them and this is something we are looking forward to as we have a special relationship with the UK. There isn’t a Bahraini who doesn’t aspire to go there, own property or have some sort of business interests there. “I believe there is a natural relationship between Bahrain and the UK anyway. It’s easy to look at Britain as a great partner both in business and tradition. Even our police department, national defence and education sectors have strong British DNA in them. “Personally, I have a huge affinity for their quality cars. I love the UK’s history of quality engineering. Most of the exceptional technology we see in Formula 1 for example is processed in the UK and the standards of research and development are so high.” The Duke of York presented Mr. Zayani with an honorary OBE in 2013, something he treasures to this day. Offering congratulations to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her Platinum Jubilee, he said: “There isn’t a royalty in Europe as high in class as much as the British royalty and Her Majesty has ruled for 70 years as a true leader to her nation in both war and peace. People look up to Her Majesty and I had the honour and pleasure of meeting her when she came to visit us in Bahrain in 1979. “I was then the Chairman of Bahrain Historical and Archaeological Society and I took her around some sites. I was so impressed by her knowledge of the site before she arrived and I said to her: “You’ve done your homework.” The Duke of Edinburgh then turned to me and said: “She always does her homework!” I shall always remember her kindness to me when I was a young man at that time.”

As the Chairman of the Bahrain British Business Forum (BBBF), Khalid Rashid Al Zayani is one of the most important figures in relations between the Kingdom and the UK. We sat down for an insightful chat as part of our special look at bilateral relations between the two nations.

BOOSTING BUSINESS TIES

As Deputy Chair of the Bahrain British Business Forum (BBBF), Paula Boast is instrumental in managing the membership and strategising for the future. We spoke with her to find out more about her efforts to boost Bahraini-British relations.

Originally from Northern Ireland, Ms. Boast has been an international construction engineering and projects lawyer for 20 years. She first arrived in Bahrain in 2006 to focus on iconic Bahrain projects such as Diyar Al Muharraq, Riffa Views, Durrat Al Bahrain and Bahrain Bay. She is now a partner with Charles Russell Speechlys and the current head of its Middle East projects team for the region, a job which she combines with her work for the BBBF. She said: “I joined the BBBF in 2008 as a member. It formed a key part of my projects networking and business development plan. I volunteered for the Committee until an election year came around in 2010 and I was voted in as Special Interest Groups Officer. I was responsible for delivering key events on a sector specific basis such as banking and finance, real estate, security, oil and gas etc. In 2014 I became Deputy Chair, and remain so to this day. “In terms of responsibilities, I am very hands on! We have a great team at the BBBF. A key part of my role is strategy and planning, and then delegation and management. So that could be for key events and our diary programme, website upgrades, communication and PR developments, diplomatic and trade liaison initiatives, meeting with incoming businesses and cross regional facilitation. It boils down to thinking about how we evolve, how we grow, how we stay relevant, and how we take BBBF into the future.” One of the BBBF’s core aims is to promote networking and boost business ties internationally, something it does through events and conferences. Following the pandemic, more in-person meetings are expected to resume. When asked how the BBBF has improved relations between the UK and Bahrain, Ms Boast explained: “Firstly, we operate a forum that allows people as a priority to actually meet each other and to connect. In turn that allows them to build relationships. This remains a key factor in doing business in the Kingdom. We have always been business ‘friendly’ and we remain so. “We have members who span 20 or more years with us which is testament to our formula that networking is a cornerstone to business success. We have also driven forward cross-regional initiatives with other business groups in the region which is vital. From regional connections our members can also build global connections. So, the reach is beyond just British and Bahraini businesses.” The Forum’s major event of the year is the Poppy Ball in November, with a further key annual event to be added in the first half of 2023. This month, there will also be special celebrations held for Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee. Ms Boast said: “On behalf of everyone at the BBBF, we would like to pass to Her Majesty our heartfelt congratulations on her Platinum Jubilee. From a business perspective I think I speak for all of our members when I say that Her Majesty’s work ethic, adaptability and resilience stands as a shining example to us all. We have been very lucky to have had the support of Her Majesty and the Royal Family throughout the BBBF’s history and we look forward to seeing that continue. “The Platinum Jubilee marks a new chapter not just for Her Majesty but also for us at the BBBF. After 27 years, we now start our transition to becoming the British Chamber of Commerce Bahrain. We have a lot of work to do in the year ahead but we are very excited about the future.”

Launch of the New Bentley Bentayga S Bentley Bahrain held a launch event for the new Bentley Bentayga S - the latest model to join the extraordinary Bentley SUV range. Guests were treated to a first look at the striking car at the launch held at The Royal Golf Club, Riffa Views.