The Electricity and Water Affairs Minister, Yasser Humaidan, and the Industry and Commerce Minister, Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro, were also present.

Shaikh Khalid was welcomed by Imerys Al Zayani’s board of directors chairman and Al Zayani Investments honorary board of directors chairman, Khalid Al Zayani, and Imerys CEO, Alessandro Dazza.

The Deputy Premier was briefed on the production process in the company’s factory, which specializes in the production of white and compact fused alumina and exports to more than 25 countries.

He emphasized the private sector’s role in enhancing environmental security and its efforts to reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2035 and reach carbon neutrality by 2060, in line with the goals of the comprehensive development process led by His Majesty King Hamad and overseen by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince, and Prime Minister.

Shaikh Khalid affirmed that the private sector is keen on countering environmental challenges and sustaining the environment and resources in line with the Bahrain Economic Vision 2030 and the Government Plan (2023-2026) by focusing on energy sustainability, transitioning to it, and encouraging the national mix to be more renewable.

These efforts are guided by the National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP) and the National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP), which are two of the main priorities overseen by the ministerial committee for development and infrastructure projects, Shaikh Khalid added.

The Deputy Prime Minister highlighted the diversity of Bahrain’s industrial sector and efforts to direct capital into specific and advanced industries to achieve the Government’s Industrial Sector Strategy (2022-2026), which focuses on applying circular economy and environmental and social governance to raise the industrial sector’s contribution to the GDP, increase exports of national origin, and create new jobs.

Shaikh Khalid commended the partnership between Al Zayani Investments and Imerys, a French multinational company that specializes in the production and processing of industrial minerals.

He noted that their partnership was the result of the efforts of the Economic Development Board of Bahrain in promoting the kingdom’s role as a business-friendly environment and providing investment opportunities.

Mr Al Zayani said that with the installation of 8,600 solar panels, carbon emissions would be significantly reduced by 5,000 tonnes annually, which make up 15 percent of the company’s emissions.

The panels will also generate 25 percent of the company’s electricity consumption, he added.

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A new Gulf tourism visa has been introduced to support the Saudi Arabian economy. This unified visa aims to promote tourism in the Gulf region and make it easier for visitors to travel between countries.

In November 2023, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) approved a significant unified tourist visa that is set to launch between 2024 and 2025.

The permit, similar to the Schengen scheme, will enable tourists to travel across all six GCC member states: Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Quotes about the Unified Gulf Visa:

During the 40th meeting of the organization’s interior ministers in Muscat, Oman, Jassim Mohammed Al-Budaiwi, GCC secretary-general, announced the new visa on November 9.

He added “The unified Gulf tourist visa is a project that will contribute to facilitating and streamlining the movement of residents and tourists between the six GCC countries and will, undoubtedly, have a positive impact on the economic and tourist sectors,”

In November 2023, the World Bank published a report titled “Economic Diversification Efforts Paying off in GCC Region but More Reforms Needed”. According to this report, the GCC region is expected to grow by 1% in 2023, followed by a growth of 3.6% and 3.7% in 2024 and 2025, respectively.

“To sustain the current economic growth, GCC countries need to maintain responsible macroeconomic management, stay devoted to structural reforms, and concentrate on boosting their non-oil exports,” stated Safaa El Tayeb El-Kogali, the World Bank’s country director for the GCC.

Saudi Arabia’s Tourism Authority Spokesperson and Corporate Communications Director Abdullah Al-Dakhil stated that:

“Saudi is booming, with the Saudi Central Bank recently announcing that visitor spending exceeded SR100 billion ($26.66 billion) in the first three quarters of 2023 and UNWTO recognizing the Kingdom as the world’s second-fastest-growing tourist destination,”

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