Recently, Wang Bo, chairman of China Machinery Engineering Group Corporation (CMEC Group), paid a visit to Shaikh Khalid, Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, and attended the Bahrain Innovation Summit on Social Housing together with Ni Ruchi, Chinese Ambassador to Bahrain. During his stay in Bahrain, Chairman Wang Bo held meetings with Bahrain’s cabinet ministers, including Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, Minister of Electricity and Water Affairs, Minister of Commerce and Industry, Minister of Public Works, and President of the Youth and Sports Council. Additionally, he signed cooperation memorandums with government departments and big enterprises.

Mr. Wang Bo thanked the Deputy Prime Minister for the meeting and congratulated the Kingdom of Bahrain on its significant progress and outstanding social benefits in the affordable housing. Wang reviewed the Bahrain Sitra affordable housing project implemented by CMEC Group. With the trust and support of Bahraini governments at all levels, CMEC Group will deliver 2,877 high-quality dwellings and supporting municipal infrastructure through three phases of construction over many years. Wang said that CMEC Group would rely on SINOMACH’s strong research capabilities and industrial foundation, leverage its advantages in survey & design consulting, equipment R&D and manufacturing, and specialised construction and installation, and give full play to its competitiveness in large engineering projects, especially large industrialisation ones. CMEC Group would provide customers with one-stop services covering the entire engineering contracting industry chain, help improve the people’s well-being and industrialisation in the Kingdom of Bahrain, and facilitate the Economic Development Vision 2030.

Deputy Prime Minister Shaikh Khalid extended warm welcome to Chairman Wang Bo for his visit to Bahrain and the summit and highly praised CMEC Group’s remarkable contributions to the Sitra affordable housing project. H.E. the Deputy Prime Minister said that the Sitra project, a priority for the King of Bahrain to advance during his stay in China, is also a model project for Bahraini housing and people’s well-being. It has received high attention and acclaim from the community, injecting new impetus into the further cooperation between China and Bahrain. The Deputy Prime Minister warmly expressed his consistent support for the future cooperation and expected CMEC Group to take advantage of its strengths and engage in Bahrain’s socio-economic development in more areas.

During the talks, the two sides also had in-depth exchanges on practical cooperation in facilitating infrastructure construction, projects for improving people’s wellbeing, and Bahrain’s industrialisation. The Chinese ambassador to Bahrain Ni Ruchi attended the meeting and fully recognised SINOMACH’s overall strength.

The summit was presided over by H.E. Amna, minister of Bahrain Housing and Urban Planning. Wang Bo was invited to attend the summit and signed a cooperation memorandum on behalf of CMEC Group with the Ministry during the summit, which determined the next-step cooperation between the two sides under the new model. At the sub-forum of the Global Perspectives on Innovation in Social Housing, Mr. Wang shared China’s new measures and financial support in the affordable housing construction as well as sci-tech innovation and development in the urban & rural construction, and highlighted CMEC Group’s achievements and successful practice of technological innovation in engineering and construction.

During the opening ceremony, Chairman Wang Bo accompanied the Deputy Prime Minister of Bahrain, the Minister of Housing and Urban Planning, the Minister of Electricity and Water Affairs, Ambassador Ni Ruchi and other guests to visit the housing innovation exhibition held in the same period, and held in-depth exchanges at CMEC Group’s exhibition hall.

On behalf of CMEC Group, Chairman Wang congratulated the summit on its success. He said that CMEC Group, in the cooperation spirit of sincerity, openness and professionalism, would engage itself in a wide range of projects implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning with its technical and financing capacity. The Group would promote the application of green low-carbon technologies and build more liveable modern communities for Bahrain’s people.

Minister Amna welcomed Chairman Wang Bo for his attendance and reviewed the rewarding results of both sides’ cooperation. She highly praised CMEC Group for advancing the high-quality and timely handover of the Sitra affordable housing project through new financing models. The Minister expected both sides to take the signing of the new cooperation agreement as an opportunity to enhance the strategic synergy and increase cooperation outcomes.

During his stay in the Kingdom of Bahrain, Wang Bo also visited Yasser, minister of Electricity and Water Affairs, Abdullah, minister of Commerce and Industry, Ibrahim, minister of Public Works; and Ayman, president of the Youth and Sports Council. Wang said that CMEC Group and its member companies have devoted themselves into their overseas business for many years, possessing extensive experience in overseas project development and execution as well as outstanding capabilities in design, construction and financing. They are trustworthy partners with excellent professional capabilities. Mr. Wang looked forward to deepening cooperation with all sectors of the Kingdom of Bahrain in key areas like energy, power supply, municipal water services, industrialisation and infrastructure, so as to make greater contributions to the economic and trade cooperation between China and Bahrain.

Chairman Wang Bo also held talks with local enterprises and signed memorandums to further cooperation in housing, health care and other areas.

Heads of CMEC Group’s Urban Construction Division, CMEC Bahrain WLL, and China IPPR International Engineering Co., Ltd. also attended the above activities.