Deputy Premier patronises Spring of Experts forum

Manama, Sept. 16(BNA): The number of public and private sector pensioners averaged 50,000 last August, it was revealed. The updated figures were released as Deputy Premier Shaikh Khalid bin Abdulla Al-Khalifa patronized a forum spotlighting the "Spring of Experts" project. Al-Hekma Society for the Retired is organizing the two-day symposium at its headquarters in Sanad, in the presence of Gulf and Arab participants. He hailed the concept of "Spring of Experts", the first national project of its kind which aims at rehabilitating and training retired specialists, craftsmen and senior officials in the administrative, technical, and financial and security sectors. He commended the crucial role of Al-Hekma Society for the Retired, since its inception in 1989, chaired by Lieutenant-General Dr. Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al-Khalifa. The Deputy Premier stressed the importance of promoting the concept of human capital and benefiting from the accumulated expertise, stressing the Government’s drive to engage the retired, who have a wealth of knowledge, in the boards of authorities, Government institutions and national committees. The "Spring of Experts", which was first initiated in Bahrain, has been established in a bid to invest in accumulated expertise, which would benefit the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states. The scheme was set up following an agreement which was signed between the GCC Chambers Union and Makkah-based Thought and Development Institution. Al-Hekma Society for the Retired Chairman Dr. Lt.Gen Dr. Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al-Khalifa, GCC Chambers Union Secretary-General Abdulrahim Naqi, Labour Minister Jameel bin Mohammed Ali Humaidan and General Organisation for Social Insurance (GOSI) Chief Executive Officer Dr. Zakaria Al-Abbassi also addressed the ceremony.