Programme of Activity Begins at The Education Project 2010

MANAMA, Bahrain, October 9, 2010 - Shaikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa, Chief Executive of the
Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), today kicked off the two-day
programme of interactive workshops and plenary sessions at The Education
Project 2010.

Speaking to some 500 delegates from 50 countries this morning,
he said: "I am delighted to see representation from every part of the world,
representing all sectors of education. What we all have in common is that we
are gathered here to address the same question which I know everyone in this
room cares passionately about: 'What will it take to dramatically improve
students' learning experience and outcomes? In these difficult economic
times, governments, businesses and parents alike are all thinking about how
to give our children the right skills so that they can productively and
meaningfully find employment, independence and ultimately fulfilment in
society."

The EDB is hosting the event that was founded last year by His
Royal Highness Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince of
Bahrain and Chairman of the EDB.

"It is easy to agree on the need for better education, but the
real challenge lies in the how. How are we going to improve the outcomes,"
Shaikh Mohammed added. "Between 1995 and 2007, expenditure on educational
institutions for all levels of education increased an average of 49 percent
in OECD countries. Unfortunately, or maybe frustratingly, this level of
investment has not seen a significant rise in education outcomes.

"There has been a tremendous amount of work done - much of
which has been driven by many people in this room - which is starting to
produce some answers as to why this has been the case and what still needs to
be done. So in this forum we will focus not on re-hashing the same issues but
rather on thinking about what needs to happen and, more importantly, how this
needs to happen - at government, system and school levels - how can we
improve our system to produce a step-change in learning outcomes."

Shaikh Mohammed will, this evening, welcome a special address
from HE Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, UAE Minister of Higher Education
and Scientific Research.

Notes to editors

About The Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB)

The Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) is a dynamic
public agency with an overall responsibility for formulating and overseeing
the economic development strategy of Bahrain, and for creating the right
climate to attract direct investment into the Kingdom.

The role of the Bahrain EDB is to provide leadership by
uniting all of the Kingdom's shareholders through a unified vision, and to
develop key strategies for growth. The Bahrain EDB also acts as a
facilitator, helping all of Bahrain's stakeholders to understand and adopt
the changes necessary for progress. In addition, the Bahrain EDB provides
sound project management to ensure that all agreed reform initiatives are
implemented in an effective and timely manner.

The Bahrain EDB is also responsible for attracting inward investment into
Bahrain, and is focusing on six target economic sectors in which the Kingdom
offers significant strengths. These are financial services, downstream
industries, tourism, business services, logistics, and education and
training.

For more information on the Bahrain EDB visit
www.bahrainedb.com; for information about Bahrain visit
www.bahrain.com

About The Experience

The Experience by Richard Attias is a strategic experiential
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the man behind the production of the Davos Forum for over 13 years and the
creator and producer of the Nobel Laureates Conference, the Monaco Media
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The Experience by Richard Attias has offices in NY, Paris, Dubai, Jeddah and
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    Further information

    Jenan Al Maskati, Bahrain Economic Development Board
    Tel: +973-17-589-930
    Email: internationalmedia@bahrainedb.com

    Katie Bergius, Bell Pottinger
    Tel: +44(0)207-861-3105 / +44 (0)7979-701-689
    Email: kbergius@goodrelations.co.uk

    Doreen Bonnami, The Experience
    Tel: +1 212 794 8801 x1105
    Email: Doreen.Bonnami@theexperiencecorp.com

Further information: Jenan Al Maskati, Bahrain Economic Development Board, Tel: +973-17-589-930, Email: internationalmedia at bahrainedb.com; Katie Bergius, Bell Pottinger, Tel: +44(0)207-861-3105 / +44 (0)7979-701-689, Email: kbergius at goodrelations.co.uk; Doreen Bonnami, The Experience, Tel: +1 212 794 8801 x1105, Email: Doreen.Bonnami at theexperiencecorp.com