Kuwait Finance House - Bahrain (KFH-Bahrain), announced today its sponsorship of the "Banks in Bahrain" reception, that took place on 8th October 2010 at the Mandarin Hotel in Washington D.C.. The prestigious reception, organized by the Bahrain Association of Banks (BAB) was held during the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group. The reception event was specifically designed to showcase Bahrain as a global financial centre and the financial capital of the MENA region. It provided an excellent networking opportunity that promotes the Kingdom as an attractive destination for business interests. The IMF and the World Bank annual meetings bring together central bankers, ministers of finance and development, executives from the private sector and renowned academics. Discussions focused on issues of a global concern, including the outlook for the world economy, development, the eradication of poverty and the effectiveness of aid. The meetings also provided an opportunity for civil society organizations to share their views. Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Abdulhakeem Alkhayyat said, "KFH-Bahrain is dedicated to supporting Bahrain's efforts in positioning itself as one of the leading centres for Middle Eastern finance. The region as a whole, and its financial services sector, offers significant growth potential both now and in the future. "KFH-Bahrain's strategy will seek to capture a growing segment of this valuable market for the benefit of our shareholders and clients. The ability to operate from a well regulated, liberal market such as Bahrain gives us a competitive edge in the region. The Bahrain Association of Banks' reception at the IMF and World Bank Annual Meetings offered a great opportunity to market the potential of Bahrain and the region to some of the leading global banking and financial institutions", he added. "I can't emphasize enough the importance of the participation of Bahrain's financial institutions in such international events. It can only contribute towards strengthening the communication between the banking and financial sector in Bahrain with its counterparts throughout the world", Mr. Alkhayyat concluded.