UNDP Regional Director Concludes High-level Visit To Bahrain

The United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Regional Bureau for Arab States in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Abdallah Al Dardari, reaffirmed, at the conclusion of his first official visit to the Kingdom Bahrain since he assumed office (20-22 April) , UNDP’s support and continued commitment to Bahrain’s pursuit of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in alignment with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 and its Government Plan 2023–2026 through, its newly endorsed Country Programme Document for  Bahrain (2025–2029).  

“UNDP’s longstanding partnership with Bahrain has always benefitted from the Kingdom’s demonstrated forward-thinking policy, and inclusive dialogue, which led to tangible development gains,” said Al Dardari. “In this visit, I had the opportunity to discuss ways to expand the Kingdom’s leadership and engagement in UNDP’s proposed regionwide endeavours, including Digital Transformation for Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs), Green Financing Facility, and Islamic insurance for farmers”. 

During his three-day visit , Al Dardari discussed with senior government officials and development partners priorities for inclusive economic growth, environmental sustainability, support to MSMEs on digital innovation, and green financing — all central themes of the new country programme for Bahrain adopted by the UNDP Executive Board in January 2025. 

In this regard, Mr. Dardari granted access to Bahrain partners to 200 licences for future skills training developed by the Arab Knowledge Project, a joint initiative by UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Arab States and the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Knowledge Foundation (MBRF) that seeks to empower sustainable development by building knowledge societies in the Arab States region and beyond. The access would empower individuals in Bahrain to acquire skills for the rapidly evolving job market shaped by technological advancements.  

The mission also emphasized the importance of widening and deepening the strong and longstanding cooperation between UNDP and Bahrain, spanning over five decades, since the 1970s, through which UNDP has partnered with national stakeholders to support the kingdom’s progress in key areas such as women’s empowerment, youth leadership, clean energy, digital skills, and public sector innovation.