Trained Bahrainis will play a key role in attracting investments for the expansion of the kingdom's economic and social sectors, a government minister said.

Oil and Gas Affairs Minister and National Oil and Gas Authority (Noga) chairman Dr Abdulhussain Mirza said Bahrain's political leadership has set this year for the inauguration of a plan for reforming and developing training and education.

"The idea is for this plan to go side by side with our labour market reforms and restructuring of our national economy, aiming at competency, efficiency and productivity," he told the opening of the First GCC Training Forum.

The three-day forum at the InterContinental Regency Hotel is being organised by the GCC Trainers' Union in co-operation with Noga.

The theme of the forum is 'Knowledge-Based Human Resources Management'.

"The theme appropriately applies to today's development of a qualified cadre that is fully equipped with knowledge and professionalism which form essential elements of labour market transformation and requirements," said Dr Mirza.

"The combination of training, in general, and the knowledge-based training, in particular, is a vital demand and an urgent requirement of quality and rapidly developing market."

Dr Mirza praised the efforts made by the GCC countries in magnifying the role and importance of training and education in the GCC's new economic and social lifestyle.

"This is expressed in the expansion of the infrastructure of public and private establishments, modernisation and upgradation of educational programmes and elimination of barriers impeding productive investment in this vital sector for the human resources industry's future in our GCC countries," he added.

"We support these GCC joint efforts which have resulted in creating the GCC Trainers' Union."

Noga, said Dr Mirza, has given special attention to the training and development of Bahrainis in the oil and gas sector.

"Today, our Bahraini workforce, which accounts for 86 per cent of the total petroleum sector manpower, is our national wealth and capital resources of which we are proud and eager to care for and develop," he said.

"As part of its policy to further raise the standard and efficiency of the human element, NOGA sent a number of its staff on more than 40 specialised training courses in 2007 inside and outside Bahrain.

"Last year, Noga's petroleum companies provided training for 1,883 participants, out of the total manpower of 4,285 employed by such companies. Thus, trainees formed 44 per cent of their workforce."

In last year's Noga budget, an amount of BD8.341 million was allocated for training, Dr Mirza said. The share of each individual was BD4,430.

The forum was chaired by the GCC Trainers' Union chairman Shaikh Ahmed bin Bakheit Baqi.

Secretary general Dr Hussain Al Mahdi said the union currently has 1,500 training associates in the Middle East and North Africa.

Other board members of the union are Dr Ahlam Al Hosaini (UAE), Dr Salman Al Halwachi (Bahrain), and Dr Mohammed Ashkanini, Dr Adnan Al Hassan and Abdulla Al Mehi (all from Kuwait).-TradeArabia News Service