The Middle East North Africa (MENA) Investment Centre has opened in Bahrain.

This is the first in the Arab and Middle East region for the Mena-OECD Investment Programme.

The centre supports the joint MENA-OECD Investment Programme with the involvement of 18 countries in the MENA region, placing Bahrain in a pivotal regional role to coordinate the investment policy research activities of the OECD in the region.

The announcement was made by CEO of The Economic Development Board of Bahrain (EDB) Shaikh Mohammed bin Isa Al Khalifa on the sidelines of a two-day MENA-OECD Investment Programme workshop titled: 'Designing effective strategies for investment promotion and reform communication'.

In attendance were head of the MENA-OECD Investment Programme Dr Rainer Geiger and advisor for the state Secretariat for Economic Affairs in Switzerland Paul Obrist.

The Minister of Finance and the Minister of Works and Housing were also present at the launch, as well as other government officials.

'This centre will act as a regional hub for research excellence, and the distribution and dissemination of OECD materials and more importantly, its principles,' said Shaikh Mohammed.

'We take very seriously our commitment to upholding the organisation's mission to help governments tackle the economic, social and governance challenges we each face in a modern global economy,' he added.

Participants at the workshop included senior government officials from the MENA region.

The Centre will act as a link for MENA investment authorities with the OECD headquarters in Paris. It will establish a network of regional and international research organisations and serve as a regional focal point for the Investment Programme.Trade Arabia News Service