More than 500 industry executives from all aspects of an infrastructure project lifecycle will be in Bahrain to discuss key industry issues at an upcoming leadership summit.

The Bahrain Global Infrastructure Leadership Forum will be hosted by Bahrain, under the patronage of Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, and will bring in global experts in infrastructure.

The event is a part of CG/LA Infrastructure's prestigious, region-specific infrastructure forum series and is being presented in partnership with the EDB. It will run from November 18 to 20 at the Ritz-Carlton Bahrain Hotel and Spa.

The forum will focus on projects from the GCC, along with select projects in Europe, the greater Middle East and North Africa region and India.

The preparations for the forum were discussed at a key meeting chaired by Transportation Minister and Economic Development Board (EDB) acting chief executive Kamal Ahmed. Event organiser CG/LA Infrastructure's president and chief executive Norman F Anderson also attended.

Project sponsors will have an opportunity to present specific infrastructure projects available within three to 18 months and listed as part of CG/LA' Strategic Top 100 Report, scheduled to be released next month.

"Bahrain has a long history of openness, and was one of the first countries in the region to begin diversifying away from oil," remarked Ahmed.

"Along with a tried and tested regulatory system, excellent regional connectivity, and a highly skilled workforce, the kingdom is a great location for companies to set up, in order to access the fast-growing GCC market, which is currently worth $1.6 trillion," he added.

"The GCC has already seen the launch of many large-scale infrastructure projects in recent years, with more in the pipeline.

"The launch of the forum is a an exciting opportunity for the kingdom, as it will allow companies to showcase their projects, and discuss partnerships with local, regional, and international firms," he added.

"This is a strategic opportunity for the region to invest in good projects that create competitiveness for their countries and opportunities for their people," said Anderson.

"We are focused on creating a vision for project selection and laying out a measure of success," he added.-TradeArabia News Service