HRH Premier granted the Gulf Aluminum Council's shield

His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa has affirmed the importance of consolidating complementarity and coordination among GCC states, especially in the industrial sector which has become a main pillar of the entity's economic strength.

The Gulf Aluminum Council conferred its shield on HRH Premier in recognition of his pioneering role in establishing the aluminum industry in the GCC region, which started from Bahrain.

During the audience, HRH Premier pointed out that GCC states should give top priority to preserving the achievements attained for their citizens and building on them in order to ensure a better future for the coming generations, praising GCC countries' development strides in which their citizens played a crucial role.

The Prime Minister emphasized the need to maintain contacts and communication between GCC countries because of the strong ties bonding their leaders and deep-rooted family relations bonding their peoples.

He asserted that the Aluminum industry has been- and is still- one of the most promising sectors, given its competitive features, calling for the need to take advantage of the region's huge energy potentials and fiscal surpluses in consolidating the manufacturing industries.

He added that Bahrain enjoys a pioneering position in the Aluminum industry and has been able to make a huge leap thanks to the tremendous efforts of its citizens, which entitled it to be one of the leading regional and global centres in this field.

"In Bahrain, we have succeeded in developing the aluminum industry thanks to our belief in the importance of the industry sector in diversifying revenue sources and creating more job opportunities for our citizens," he said.

He noted that, in the 1970s, Bahrain relied on oil as the only revenue source because the vision was not clear then, adding that the country wanted to create an industrial base and found that aluminum was the best because of the opportunities it provided regarding generating training and job opportunities for the citizens.

"We went around the world to bring companies that export aluminum to us, including Australian companies, and we started from that point in the aluminum industry, and thankfully, we now reap the dividends and we have provided an essential basis for the aluminum industry across the GCC region, in general, and in Bahrain in particular," he also said.

HRH Premier lauded the role played the Gulf Aluminum Council in boosting the aluminum industry and efforts in developing strategies to increase its efficiency and role in the development march of GCC states.

On his part, Saeed Fadhel Al Mazrooei delivered a statement in which he expressed GAC's Board of Directors' pride in being received by HRH Premier and informed about his wise directives, adding the establishment of the aluminum industry in the GCC region was his brainchild.

He said that HRH Premier's genial idea of launching the aluminum industry has generated numerous jobs for GCC nationals, adding that the $30 billion industry has become a main pillar of the GCC economy.