With the exception of Saudi Arabia, the banking sector across the GCC is generally fragmented in nature, with a large number of institutions pursuing business within relatively small bankable populations. For decades regulators have extolled the virtues of sector consolidation, in some cases approaching banks discretely to encourage a merger,...
A low oil price environment has presented a number of challenges for Bahrain’s vibrant and fiercely competitive insurance sector. Downward pressure on premiums and a dearth of underwriting opportunities across the region have negatively affected the bottom lines of most Manama-based insurers. However, new opportunities in areas such as health...
The rapid evolution of the financial technology ( fintech) arena has presented a dilemma to regulators across the world. The industry is emerging as one of the most vibrant segments of the wider financial services sector, and in 2015 collected over $22bn in investment, according to the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), a figure that is expected...
Small businesses play an important and growing role in Bahrain’s economy. According to the Labour Market Regulatory Authority, more than 90% of licensed companies had less than 10 employees in 2016 and approximately 98% of them employed less than 50 people each. The activity of this prominent part of the economy has become easier to track in...
As Bahrain’s banking sector completes its third full year of operation in a lower oil price environment, profitability and asset growth in the industry has turned flat. However, thanks to a robust regulatory framework, there has been no significant deterioration in asset quality, and there is sufficient liquidity in the system to allow banks...
In October 2016 the Bahrain Bourse (BHB) obtained permission from the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) to establish the Bahrain Investment Market (BIM), paving the way for the exchange to open its much-anticipated market to small to mid-cap companies. Officially launched in March 2017, the initiative is in accord with the government’s broader...
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