Young professionals and entrepreneurs in Bahrain have started to network with their Israeli counterparts in a series of online discussions set up as a result of the recently-signed Abraham Accords.
The Leaders of Tomorrow hosted the Business and Venture Capital (VC) Forum last night and will be conducting the Bahrain-Israel Forum on February 23.
The aim is to encourage networking and develop relationships, as well as identify and open up commercial opportunities.
“Yesterday’s forum provided a platform for young professionals in the Middle East to bond and interact based on shared experiences and challenges, as well as creating business and social collaborations,” Yusuf Mohamed, 20, a hospitality college student and the organisation’s representative in Bahrain, told the GDN.
“We want to be the civil foundation of the Abraham Accords. We want to create a bridge between young Israelis and Bahrainis for the benefit of our region.”
The Leaders of Tomorrow initiative was founded shortly after the signing of the Abraham Accords and collaborates with the Office of the President of Israel (Reuven Rivlin), the UAE’s youth ministry and other international organisations across the region.
Last night’s session featured keynote speakers such as Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, the deputy mayor of Jerusalem, as well as members of the Israeli start-up ecosystem and connected young professionals in Bahrain with those in Israel, Morocco and the UAE.
“While the recent normalisation agreement has spurred communication and relationship building among top-level executives, there has been little to no communication channel connecting less senior and typically younger analysts, associates, and principals in their respective industries,” Rotem Sharon, ISRAEL-is’ vice-president of training, added.
“This forum, as well as the Bahrain-Israel Forum, will assist in establishing relationships between younger entrepreneurs, business professionals and venture capital funds.
“After listening to the panel of speakers and discussing industry-specific trends, participants entered break-out rooms, whereby they had the opportunity to meet young professionals from other countries – exchanging ideas and knowledge while discussing the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.”
Mr Mohamed
The Bahrain-Israel Forum will take place on February 23, starting at 7.30pm and is intended to be a “less formal ice-breaking session” to help entrepreneurs and professionals meet their peers, according to Mr Mohamed.
In addition to sharing challenges and opportunities, the session will also feature a discussion about how Covid-19 has affected business ecosystems across the region.
“There are many mutual needs in the region that provides opportunities for both Israelis and Bahrainis to learn from each other,” Ms Sharon explained.
Ms Sharon
“An example of this is the challenge of living in an arid, desert region. Israeli entrepreneurs are creating start-ups in the area of agriculture, irrigation and water use, and conservation.
“It goes without saying they would be interested in discussing the challenges, needs and solutions to the problems posed in these regions. It can provide great opportunities for both countries.”
Those interested in taking part in the next session can register by visiting https://www.uae-isr.online/
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