Business incubators, specifically designed to help female entrepreneurs, are being set up in Bahrain.

Officials hope to begin construction of the units next year and will have 39 up and running by 2012.

Details of the project were announced during the opening of the first national conference for Bahraini women at the Sheraton Hotel yesterday.

Al Khaleej Development Company (Tameer) chief executive officer and Labour Market Regulatory Authority board member Dr Khalid Mohammed Abdulla said the Bahrain Development Bank and Supreme Council for Women (SCW) were working on the scheme.

'The planning phase has started and the target is to start the construction of the women business incubators by next year,' he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Abdulla revealed 406 women had benefited from BDB consultancy services last year and in the first five months of this year, during a plenary session on integrating women's needs in development strategies.

He said grants of BD79,000 had also been given to women taking part in a BDB and Tamkeen project to encourage them to start their own bus companies.

SCW secretary-general Lulwa Al Awadhi moderated the session, which was chaired by Royal Court general director of research Dr Ahmed Al Ayusha.

He revealed that economic contribution of women in Bahrain was 4.9 per cent in 1971 and increased to 15.1 per cent in 1981.

However, the figure stood at only 0.4 per cent from 2002 to 2008, which are the latest figures available.

The conference, being held under the patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa, wife of His Majesty King Hamad and SCW chairwoman, concludes tomorrow.-TradeArabia News Service