The Bahrain Management Society organized a leadership evening yesterday evening at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Conference Hall, under the patronage of Shura Council Chairman Ali Al Saleh. The evening’s paper was presented by the Society’s Honorary President and Bapco Argys Advisor, Dr. Abdul Hussain Mirza. The event was attended by a host of heads of major companies and institutions, as well as Managements associations in the Kingdom, and former presidents of the Society, who were honored at the end of the evening. Dr. Lulwa Al Mutlaq, President of the Bahrain Management Society, said that through this evening, the Society is dedicated to raising issues of interest to leaders and managers across all sectors, namely managing change, which is inevitably coming and must be embraced. Al Mutlaq added, “We also highlight this evening’s theme of corporate culture and its importance in facilitating institutional change. There is no doubt that organizations consider change today to be one of the most important challenges they face, as it affects and is affected by many factors, including the organizational structure, concepts, values, and culture of the organization, various capabilities, the environment, information, and technology.”
She added, “Recently, modern practices have been introduced, such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality, big data, digitization, emotional intelligence, and others. Given this multitude of elements and their implications, leaders and managers alike require adequate preparation, knowledge, and skills to master their leadership roles in managing change and excellence, using innovative and effective solutions.” Furthermore, Consultant Dr. Abdul Hussain Mirza explained that his book, “Change Management and the Impact of Corporate Culture,” documents Bapco’s experience in managing change from 1929 to 2002. The book also summarizes the numerous challenges and major changes the company experienced during this period, how it dealt with these changes, and the extent of their impact on the organization’s performance. Mirza added, “As the lessons and morals learned from the company’s experience at that time are documented, I drew on my personal and professional experience, spanning over 40 years of service to the company, in writing my book. During this time, I witnessed Bapco’s experience up close, as a senior official in the company’s senior executive management at the time, and a key player in implementing organizational changes and transforming its corporate culture.” He continued, “The book contains references and literature that support its conclusions, as well as what prominent and well-known thinkers have put forward regarding theories of change management, the impact of corporate culture, and the extent to which all of this aligns with the actual procedures implemented by the company on the ground. The book consists of 195 pages, and is composed of excerpts from my doctoral dissertation, which was over 500 pages long, from 2002.” Mirza continued: “When I was Minister of State and the first Chairman of the Tender Board in 2003, we radically changed the tendering procedures to make them more transparent and fair, saving the government significant sums of money and enhancing Bahrain’s reputation for transparency. When I was Minister of Oil and Gas in 2005, we transformed the ministry into an authority, renaming it the Oil and Gas Authority, with a board of directors of technocrats, so that it would be managed in the same way as private sector companies.”
He added, “We also established new oil and gas companies, such as the Tatweer Company, which led to a significant increase in oil and gas production in Bahrain and increased government revenues. When I became Minister of Electricity and Water in 2011, we reduced the number of summer power outages, which had been a source of concern for citizens, and improved the quality of electricity and water services provided to citizens.”
He added, “For the first time in Bahrain’s history, we have introduced renewable energy into electricity generation. This was all due to the radical changes we made. I do not claim for a moment that I did this alone, but rather each time in collaboration with the working team in each ministry.” Mirza continued, “Because my thesis was in English, I decided in 2023 to translate its basic principles into Arabic. This was done, thankfully, by Dr. Muhammad Ali Al-Khuzai, a member of the Shura Council. I compiled it into a book, hoping it would be useful to the largest possible number of readers, students, and knowledge seekers.” He said, “Many who read the book asked me why I limited Bapco’s experience to the years 1929-2002. My answer is that 1929 is the year Bapco was founded, and 2002 is the year I completed my doctoral research. It was also the same year I left the company to become a minister in the esteemed government, upon the assignment of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, the King of Bahrain, may God protect and preserve him.”
Mirza continued, “The book contains the history of Bapco and the numerous changes it underwent during this period, how the company dealt with these changes, and references and literature relevant to Bapco’s case, which were consulted in the study. It also contains conclusions, performance indicators, and actual results for Bapco as a result of its successful management of these changes.”
He added, “I was fortunate that I was the Deputy CEO at the time and had access to the company’s original records, due to my position.”