Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco), the kingdom's national oil company, has reaffirmed its strategic support for the upcoming Gulf Industry Fair (GIF) 2015, to be held next week under the patronage of His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.

Since 1932 - when it was the first company on the Arabian Peninsula to discover oil - Bapco has spearheaded the development and growth of Bahrain's oil and gas sector, playing a vital role in the country's modernisation, said a report in the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

"Energy is a key driver of national development and industrialisation, and Bapco has a major role to play in supporting the growth of Bahrain's downstream industrial sector," Bapco chief executive Dr Peter Bartlett said.

"With this in mind the company is delighted to once again sponsor the energy segment of Gulf Industry Fair in our service to the national economy."

Gulf Industry Fair 2015 organiser Hilal Conferences & Exhibitions (HCE) managing director Jubran Abdulrahman said Bapco's continued support for the fair is testimony to the exhibition's value in highlighting industrial opportunities in the kingdom and the wider GCC as the leading regional specialist B2B showcase.

Gulf Industry Fair will be held at the Bahrain International Exhibition and Convention Centre from February 3 to 5. - TradeArabia News Service