Bahrain is set to open a state-of-the-art regional centre for prosthetics in collaboration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido), a top minister announced yesterday at a global investment forum being held in the kingdom.
At the sixth edition of the World Entrepreneurs Investment Forum (WEIF), taking place at Exhibition World Bahrain yesterday and today, Industry and Commerce Minister Abdulla bin Adel Fakhro signed a joint declaration with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido) to establish the Unido Regional Centre of Excellence for Prosthetics and Rehabilitation in Bahrain.
“The establishment of the Regional Centre of Excellence is a qualitative addition to the industrial sector in Bahrain, as it will contribute to strengthening the kingdom’s position as a regional hub for advanced medical industries,” Mr Fakhro added, on the sidelines of the forum.
“The centre will also play a role in transferring knowledge, developing national competencies and attracting high-quality investments.
“Bahrain is proceeding steadily and systematically to achieve industrial leadership in specialised and rare fields based on innovation and sustainability.”
The forum, being held under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister, welcomed around 800 investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers and business leaders.
Mr Fakhro, left, and Mr Müller with the agreement at WEIF 2026 yesterday
A source familiar with the rehabilitation centre project told the GDN that it would function as a gateway between East and West, enabling companies from Europe and Asia to provide prosthetics in war-torn areas like Gaza and Sudan.
In addition, the centre will provide training for doctors and surgeons on how to properly fit the prosthetics and then rehabilitate patients.
It will also offer resources and logistics support to interested companies who may not want to establish operations in politically unstable areas but have prosthetic solutions that could help amputees.
The project, which does not have a confirmed time frame yet, builds on Bahrain’s previous support for a prosthetics limbs factory through the Royal Humanitarian Foundation.
The establishment of the centre will help achieve objectives of the Industrial Sector Strategy (2022-2026), by diversifying the national economy’s production base, supporting industrial value chains, and enhancing the competitiveness of national industry at the regional and international levels.
It will offer an integrated system for producing prosthetic limbs and providing advanced rehabilitation services using digital manufacturing technologies, including artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and digital data management.
Unido director-general Gerd Müller noted that the centre integrates industrial development and humanitarian work, and providing innovative solutions in the field of prosthetic limb production and rehabilitation.
naman@gdnmedia.bh
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