Manama, May 10 (BNA): The Labor Fund (Tamkeen) affirmed its commitment to helping Bahrainis play a greater role in the growth of the private sector by supporting on-the-job training for 50 Bahrainis at Arla Foods. Participants will alternate between critical manufacturing areas, learning transferable skills and best practices in dairy processing, after which they will be given priority for full-time positions.
This initiative aims to increase the rate of Bahrainization in the fast-growing Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) industry, which has recorded a compound annual growth rate of 46.24% in Bahrain’s exports since 2017.
The world’s fourth largest dairy producer and largest producer of organic dairy products, Denmark-based Arla Foods’ brands include household names like Puck, Lurpak and Kraft. Operating a state-of-the-art factory in Bahrain, the company plans to expand its domestic production to more than 100,000 tons per annum by 2025.
Commenting on this, Khalid Al-Bayat, Executive Director of Business Development at the Labor Fund (Tamkeen), said: “Tamkeen remains committed to positioning Bahrainis as an employee of choice in a wide range of high-growth and high-opportunity sectors, including FMCG and manufacturing. Developing a strong pool of local talents in this sector, which in turn will contribute to attracting more business and investment opportunities in the Kingdom.
Mona Al-Sari, Senior Head of Human Resources at Arla Foods, said: “Serving the entire region, our facility in the Kingdom has helped improve product shelf life and reduce transportation and product development costs. It is a big part of our growth strategy, and we value this cooperation with Tamkeen which helps us to invest In the ambitious Bahraini talents.
The FMCG market in Bahrain represents an important opportunity to substitute imports for locally manufactured products. The presence of international companies such as Arla Foods in the Kingdom also provides prospects for developing human capital, strengthening the supply chain, and job specialization, which will help generate high-value exports from Bahrain to the region and beyond.
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