Bahrain's labour fund Tamkeen has signed up as a key partner for this year's Bahrain International Garden Show (BIGS) to be held from February 25 to 27.

The exhibition will be held at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Center under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain.

The agreement was signed by Shaikha Maram bint Isa Al Khalifa, the general co-ordinator for BIGS and Tamkeen VP Enterprise and Human Capital Development Dr Ahmed A.Ghani Al-Shaikh.

As per the agreement, Tamkeen will support upto 30 enterprises from the agricultural sector at the exhibition by covering 60 to 90 per cent of the cost of space rental, the design and installation of stands at Tamkeen’s pavilion.

The support is part of Tamkeen’s Growth Assistance Scheme, one of the five principal co-financing schemes available to Bahraini enterprises in the Enterprise Development Support programme, which avails Bahrain enterprises the opportunity to grow their businesses by showcasing their various products and services to the public.

“We consider agriculture to be one of the key sectors Tamkeen is striving to develop”, said Dr Al-Shaikh.

“We urge all eligible enterprises working within this vital sector to contact Tamkeen’s Enterprise Development Support Agency to expedite the required application and participation procedures.” he added.

Widely considered one of the most attractive events of the calendar year, BIGS regularly attracts large crowds from within Bahrain and abroad.

According to Al Shaikh, the participating enterprises through Tamkeen shined in last year’s show, and Tamkeen’s pavilion won several awards for best design.

'Last year, Tamkeen had supported 19 participations at a cost of more than BD22,000 which is the equivalent of 80 per cent of the total cost.  In total 10 farmers and 9 enterprises were funded,' he added.-TradeArabia News Service