Bahrain is set to establish a first-of-its-kind Nanotechnological Centre, which would supply ready-to-use products in the GCC that would be used in several areas such as medicine, motor transport and construction.

The centre aims to create a hi-tech bridgehead for scientific breakthrough of Bahraini and GCC nanotechnologies.

Last year, Bahrain World Economic Summit secretary-general Dr Salman Sheiba visited Russian National Association of Nanoindustry in Moscow and negotiated on the issue with its chairman Dr Michael M Ananyan.

The main subject of these negotiations is the preliminary arrangements for setting up a Nanotechnological Centre in Bahrain, initiated by Talal Abu-Ghazaleh Organisation (TAG-Org).

According to exclusive information secured by our sister newspaper Gulf Daily News (GDN), officials confirmed that during the initial set-up (date yet to be announced) infrastructure will be provided by kingdom-based TAG-Org while the staffing will be done by Russian National Association of Nanoindustry and TAG-org.

'The centre will distribute ready-to-use nanoproducts such as Striboil, Agbion2 and other line of next generation products,' an official told the GDN yesterday.

Striboil is designed to lubricate worn out components of friction units of motor, air and water transport vehicles. It is considered a fuel-efficient and less-emission compound.

Agbion2 is a concentrate of silver nanoparticles designed for wide-spectrum applications in sanitary, medical and agricultural fields.

In February this year, TAG-Org announced it will set up regional headquarters in Bahrain.

The global leader provides several professional services and with its nanotechnology venture it plans to enter the Bahrain market to manufacture customised products based on regional demands.

Nanotechnology is the study of controlling matter on an atomic and molecular scale. Generally, it deals with structures of the size 100 nanometres or smaller and involves developing materials or devices within that size.

Gulf and Arab countries are tapping into nanotechnology and biotechnology to transform their industries from oil to knowledge-based industries and address three of their most fundamental development challenges of adequate supplies of water, energy and food.

In 2008, a Nanotechnology Centre of Excellence was set up in Saudi Arabia following an agreement signed in Riyadh on February 26, 2008 between the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology, the Saudi Arabian National Research and Development Organisation and IBM Research.

On November 16, 2008, the Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research, Abu Dhabi, announced that it would set up a nanotechnology research centre.-TradeArabia News Service