Industry

From heavy industries largely owned by government entities to regional headquarters for multinational companies, Bahrain has a vibrant manufacturing sector that is growing steadily and playing an increasingly important role in the economy. The global downturn in both crude oil and commodities prices squeezed profit margins despite record production by Bahrain’s petrochemicals plants and aluminium smelter. However, the country is continuing to invest in the most ambitious industrial expansion plans for over a decade to capitalise on future global demand for its output. The single-biggest investment in the industrial sector is the $3bn project to build a sixth potline for Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), which will be the company’s largest expansion since potline five came on-stream in 2005. However, this individual development is part of a cluster of inter-related investments in Bahrain’s upstream and downstream industries that are designed to fire up the economy, attract additional investment and ensure long-term prosperity for the country’s citizens.

This chapter contains interviews with Zayed R Al Zayani, Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism; and Tim Murray, CEO, Alba.