More than 300 prominent businesswomen and men from the Gulf, the Mena region, and the world are expected to come together for the second Gulf Businesswomen Forum in Bahrain this week, a report said.

Organised by the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) and GCC Chambers' General Secretariat, the event will be held at the Sheraton Bahrain Hotel on Wednesday and Thursday, under the patronage of HRH Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of His Majesty King Hamad and Supreme Council for Women president, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

BCCI chairman Khalid Almoayed has invited the kingdom's business community to participate in the event, which has "Extending bridges of co-operation and openness" as the central theme for this edition.

"The forum aims to highlight the economic challenges faced by women entrepreneurs in the GCC, recognise their distinctive competencies, enhance the mutual understanding and compatibility between Gulf businesswomen, and shed light on pioneers and entrepreneurs in the region," he said.

The BCCI chairman along with Federation of GCC Chambers chairman Shaikh Khalifa bin Jassim Al Thani and Supreme Council for Women secretary-general Hala Al Ansari will deliver keynote addresses at the opening.

Topics up for discussion at the forum include: Contributions of Gulf businesswomen in sustainable development, Entrepreneurs as originators, the Role of Chambers in promoting businesswomen, Innovation, Investment opportunities and the role of Gulf/international partnerships in bridging divides. – TradeArabia News Service