Economy

Bahrain is among the smaller economies in the GCC, but it is also one of the more diversified, with well-developed financial services and manufacturing sectors. Despite its diversified economy, Bahrain nonetheless faced pressures in recent years as a result of the 2014-15 drop in oil prices. However, an aid package from other Gulf states, announced in late 2018, and an accompanying fiscal-adjustment plan, as well as growth on the back of a partial oil price recovery and a recent major oil and gas discovery, offer hope for a turnaround in 2019. This chapter contains interviews with Khalid Al Rumaihi, Chief Executive, Bahrain Economic Development Board; Mahmood Alkooheji, CEO, Mumtalakat; and Sameer Nass, Chairman, Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry.