The spirit of friendship and commercial ambition was on full display as the Bahrain-German Friendship Society organised a special High Tea recently.
The event, hosted at the luxurious Al Haddad Motors Mercedes-Benz Showroom in Tubli, served to formally welcome the new German Ambassador, Henning Simon.
A diverse group of esteemed guests, society members and partners got together for an engaging afternoon celebrating the cultural and economic ties between Bahrain and Germany. A particularly poignant highlight of the afternoon was the awarding of an Honorary Long Standing Member award to AbdulJalil AlAnsari, a founding member of the society, acknowledging the decades of dedication that underpin the society’s success.
The economic relationship between the two nations was a key topic of discussion.
Mr Simon highlighted the existing robust trade volume while articulating an ambitious goal for the future.
“We have around 30 to 40 German companies here in Bahrain,” he noted, adding that the current bilateral trade volume stood at approximately 800 million euros.
He expressed his keen desire to see this figure grow significantly.
“I would like to see it increase during my tenure to the one billion euro threshold,” he said.
He pointed to the new agreement between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, which treats goods produced in Bahrain as ‘local content’, as a huge draw for German and other European companies.
This strategic positioning makes Bahrain an ideal gateway to the larger Gulf market, particularly for megaprojects like the Expo 2030, Neom and the 2034 FIFA World Cup Finals in Saudi Arabia.
He cited a recent example as reported in the GDN earlier this month, namely Germany’s KAST GmbH & Company and Saudi Arabia’s Khalifa A Abdulrahman Algosaibi Investment Company (KAI) have announced the formation of a new joint venture, KAST, headquartered in Bahrain.
The partnership, announced at the Gateway Gulf 2025 forum, aims to become a leading regional hub for advanced reinforcing technical textiles – such as fibreglass-based reinforcements – used to enhance durability and energy efficiency in construction across the Middle East, the US and other markets.
The initial investment for the Bahrain-based venture is projected to be $4-$5 million. The company targets annual revenues exceeding $6m within three years of operation, driven by rising demand for sustainable construction materials.
Mr Simon confirmed that the EU is already negotiating Strategic Partnership Agreements (SPA) with all six GCC countries, signalling an exciting time for his diplomatic posting.
Beyond business, the society itself was lauded as a crucial platform for cultural exchange. Mr Simon underscored the unique composition and importance of the group. “We have members that represent the whole society of Bahrain,” he said.
He views the society members who often have deep personal, cultural or business connections to Germany, as essential ‘bridges’ between the two nations, helping to navigate and understand the subtle differences between the two cultures.
Society president Deema Al Haddad reinforced this open and diverse approach, stating that the group’s name ‘friendship’ is key.
“The society is attracting more members and we welcome them all. We have people from all walks of life who have joined the society, including business owners, friends who love Germany and cultural representatives,” said Ms Al Haddad.
She highlighted that the event was specifically designed to welcome Mr Simon and introduce him to the board members, society members and the showroom of their strategic partner, Al Haddad Motors, who consistently host and sponsor their events and those of the German Embassy.
She also shared plans for the future, detailing a multi-faceted event schedule. Future gatherings will feature speakers from all walks of life – heads of companies, ministers or existing members with German firms – to discuss topics ranging from German brands to bilateral relations and current affairs in Bahrain. The society also plans to visit existing German companies in Bahrain and host them at events.
The society welcomes new members under three categories:
n Friends (for students and others)
n Individual Members
n and Corporate Members, aiming to engage people with diverse interests across different levels of professional and personal life.
Attendees at the High Tea were also treated to a viewing of an exclusive, limited-edition car, the Mercedes-Benz PureSpeed, which had previously been showcased at the Royal Concourse held at the Royal Golf Club, Riffa Views.
The Mercedes-Benz PureSpeed is a limited-edition, radical two-seat roadster from the Mythos series with a powerful AMG 4.0-litre V8 bi-turbo engine, rear-wheel drive, and a 0-100 km/h acceleration in 3.6 seconds and top speed of 315 km/h. It lacks a traditional roof and windshield, with occupants provided with helmets and an intercom system for communication. The design is inspired by motorsport, featuring a Formula 1-style ‘halo’ and a unique paint scheme.
jayne@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))