Riyadh, The future of this region, its propesrity, and its security and stability are underpinned by providing opportunities and hope for all, Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, the Finance and National Economy Minister, said.
The minister said that there have been traditional lines of previous generations that are defined by enthicity or religion, that must not be looked at.
He called for a distinction between those who are on the side of the line who are looking forward to building and the other side of the line where there are people looking to destroy.
"The people who should write the future are the builders in the region, and that’s what we need to ensure we are empowering," he said.
Shaikh Salman that one of the main challenges facing many countries was implementing ambitious plans and programmes of governments and the ideas and projects of entrepreneurs. He said this required involving the private sector as a key driver and active partner in the implementation of those plans and ideas in a manner that drives economic growth.
The minister gave those remarks during the plenary session "Balancing the Meaning of Finance" on the second day of the seventh edition of the Future Investment Initiative (FII7) in Saudi Arabia.
Other speakers in the session included Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Jadaan; Kristalina Georgieva, the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF); and Andrew Griffith, the Economic Secretary to the Treasury in the United Kingdom.
Shaikh Salman said that the diversification of economies created resilience that boosts economic development, noting that Saudi Arabia made huge strides in this regard.
He said that non-oil sectors made up 83% of Bahrain's GDP, due to its diversification policies that consolidate the stability, growth and competitiveness of Bahrain's economy.
The minister highlighted the attributes of the Bahraini economy that encourage investment and the development of business, which have led to increasing economic activity and creating many promising opportunities.
Shaikh Salman emphasised that security and stability were a requirement for development, underlining the importance of international cooperation to continue working on building a resilient economy that is insulated from global challenges.
Source: Bahrain News Agency