Aircraft parts could soon be manufactured in Bahrain as part of the government’s efforts to look into developing new industries and creating more than 30,000 jobs, it was revealed.

Industry and Commerce Minister Dr Hassan Fakhro confirmed that the government was examining the possibility of such a move.
“Manufacturing automobiles and aircraft parts are part of our aspirations now, particularly because of our aluminium industry,” he said.
“A lot of industries now are so reliant on aluminium and therefore, this gives you a competitive edge.”
Dr Fakhro said the aluminium sector was responsible for the highest number of industrial licences granted last year, accounting for 58.
Bahrain’s national carrier Gulf Air welcomed the possibility that aircraft parts could be manufactured here.
“From an airline perspective, it is welcome because the aviation business is dependent on parts and if these requirements can be met locally, then that is the best thing for everyone,” said the airline’s acting head of corporate communications Adnan Malik.
The Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry industrial committee chairman Sharif Ahmadi said the country was capable of manufacturing aviation components.
“We have the capability, we have the technology and we can bring people from outside to train Bahrainis to fill jobs in the manufacturing process,” he said.
“I don’t know what the parts would be manufactured from, but we have the raw materials with our aluminium industry.”
In another Bahrain-related development, the government revealed that Investors were pumping more than BD378 million ($1 billion) into new projects that would create thousands of jobs for Bahrainis.
Preliminary licences were granted last year to 304 projects worth over $1 billion, Dr Fakhro.
The projects will create 13,536 new jobs, 4,313 of which will be for Bahrainis, which is more than half the number of young Bahrainis entering the jobs market each year, he said.
A further 138 final licences were issued by the ministry last year, while projects worth $485 million were given full approval, said the minister.