The Labour Fund (Tamkeen) reaffirmed its commitment to helping Bahrainis play a greater role in private sector growth by supporting on-the-job training for 50 Bahrainis at Arla Foods. Participants will rotate between critical manufacturing areas, learning transferable skills and best practices in dairy manufacturing, following which they will be prioritized for full-time positions.

This initiative aims to increase the Bahrainization rate in the rapidly expanding fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry, which has recorded a 46.24% compound annual growth rate in Bahrain’s exports since 2017.

The fourth largest dairy producer in the world and the largest manufacturer of organic dairy products, Denmark-based Arla Foods’ brands include household names such as Puck, Lurpak and Kraft. Operating a state-of-the-art factory in Bahrain, the company plans to expand its local production to more than 100,000 tons annually by 2025.

Commenting on this, Khalid AlBayat, Executive Director of Business Development at the Labour Fund (Tamkeen), said: “Tamkeen remains committed to positioning Bahrainis as the employee of choice across a broad range of high-growth, high-opportunity sectors, including FMCG manufacturing. It is our aim to develop a strong pool of local talent in this sector, which will in turn contribute to attracting further business opportunities and investment into the Kingdom.”

Mona Al Sari, Senior Head of Human Resources at Arla Foods, said: “Serving the entire region, our facility in the Kingdom has helped to improve product shelf-life and minimize costs for transportation and product development. Having highly skilled local talent is a major part of our growth strategy, and we value this collaboration with Tamkeen’s which helps us invest in ambitious Bahraini talent.”

Bahrain’s FMCG market represents a significant opportunity for import substitution with locally manufactured products. The presence of global companies such as Arla Foods in the Kingdom also offers prospects for human capital development, supply chain enhancement, and career specialization, which will help to generate high-value exports from Bahrain to the region and beyond.