The Labour Fund (Tamkeen) in collaboration with Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company “Mumtalakat” announced the training of a group of Bahraini mechanical engineering students with Prodrive International, a Mumtalakat portfolio company and a leader in the field of motorsport manufacturing , which is also known for managing the World Rally Raid Championship team, Bahrain Raid Xtreme (BRX). The students were selected following a series of assessments conducted by Mumtalakat and Prodrive International through a number of local universities such as University of Bahrain, Bahrain Polytechnic and American University of Bahrain.
This training initiative comes as part of Tamkeen’s Global Ready Talent program which aims to provide Bahrainis with quality training opportunities to enhance their skills and accelerate their career development, by establishing partnerships with various multinational companies. The Global Ready Talent program supports one of Tamkeen’s main mandates in making the Bahrainis the first choice of employment in the labour market, through closing the skills gaps and providing individuals with the required skills and exposure to increase their competitiveness both locally and internationally.
During the four-week internship period which took place in Prodrive’s operational headquarters in the United Kingdom, the students participated in the design and production of a rally car chassis that will be used in international rally raids in Spain, Morocco, and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The students also gained direct visibility on the process of planning and preparation for the BRX team’s participation in upcoming rally raids by attending meetings and groups discussions. To further enrich their experience, the students also visited a number of world-leading organizations specialized in motorsports and automotives.
His Excellency Khalid Al Rumaihi, the Chief Executive Officer of Mumtalakat and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Prodrive International emphasized the importance of this collaborative initiative in supporting the development of Bahraini talents in the motorsports engineering space. He added: “This collaboration with Tamkeen is underpinned by our commitment to continue to support the Kingdom’s economy through our portfolio companies, which support more than 12,000 highly skilled jobs in the Kingdom. The importance of this initiative with Prodrive International lies within the unique opportunity presented to the students and the international exposure they will gain from some of the world’s most renowned experts in motorsport engineering, which will contribute to establishing knowledge and expertise of this field locally”
Commenting on this initiative, Mrs. Maha Mofeez, Acting Chief Executive of the Labour Fund (Tamkeen) highlighted the value of quality training initiatives that focus on high potential sectors such as automotive manufacturing, and motorsports which has been steadily gaining popularity in the Middle East. She stated: “Giving Bahraini talent the opportunity to train at the hands of international experts enables them to enhance their skills and gain international expertise, therefore preparing them quality job opportunities and helping them become more competitive locally and internationally, which is directly aligned with Tamkeen’s objective of making Bahrainis the first choice of employment”
David Richards, CEO of Prodrive International, welcomed this collaboration and stated: “We were delighted to offer these Bahraini engineering students the opportunity to gain insights into all the technology behind the Bahrain Raid Xtreme Team. During their time with us, they learned how we design, manufacture, and run the BRX Hunter on the world’s toughest motorsport event, The Dakar Rally.”
Fareed Abusaqer, a student from Bahrain Polytechnic, highlighted the benefits he gained from the internship with Prodrive International. He stated: “I spared no effort in making sure I get this internship opportunity and I’m grateful for everyone who contributed to this initiative, specially Prodrive International. Working with the Bahrain Raid Xtreme Team was an amazing one-of-a-kind opportunity where I learned all about motorsport engineering in the most advanced and professional manner. During the internship I was highly committed and made sure to learn as much as possible; this enabled me to contribute to designing a hand brake for the Hunter Hypercar while receiving direct input and feedback from the engineers.”
Prodrive International is a Mumtalakat portfolio company which was founded in 2019 and specializes in designing and manufacturing rally cars, motorsport engineering as well as providing technological solutions for building rally cars.
This initiative comes in line with the 16 programs Tamkeen launched earlier in the year as part of a comprehensive transformation initiative that aims to drive greater economic impact, thus driving the realization of national economic priorities in alignment with the economic recovery plan.
