Tourism & Retail

As a leading performer in Bahrain’s economy in 2017, the tourism and leisure sector has begun measuring its success and impact in billions of dollars. The kingdom expects to see annual tourism receipts of over $1bn by 2020, by which time over $1bn will have been spent on upgrading its international airport and a further $10bn on a raft of new luxury hotel developments. By the end of 2018 the national carrier Gulf Air is set to take delivery of the first of a new $4bn-fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. Further into the 2020s up to $5bn looks set to be spent on a second causeway to Saudi Arabia to carry cars as well as trains running on the new GCC rail network.

This chapter contains an interview with Sheikh Khaled bin Humood Al Khalifa, CEO, Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority.