Foreign direct investment (FDI) forms a key plank of Bahrain’s development strategy. On its own, the size of the country means that both the internal market and its ability to provide capital are limited. At the same time, Bahrain has less oil and gas reserves than many of its neighbours, and as such, is looking to diversify its economy away from...
In many ways, Bahrain has traditionally been something of a trailblazer in the region. It was the first country in the Gulf to discover oil, and, given the relatively small size of its reserves, was the first to establish a tourism industry as a means to diversify its economy. In the 1970s and 1980s, Bahrain positioned itself as the conference,...
Plastics consumption in the Gulf region has been growing exponentially over the past decade. According to a report from the Gulf Petrochemicals and Chemicals Association (GPCA), between 2011 and 2015 consumption of plastics in the region is set to grow from 3.3m tonnes per annum (tpa) to 5.5m tpa. The GPCA puts the value of the GCC petrochemicals...
As part of its efforts to relaunch its tourism industry and differentiate itself from other Gulf destinations, Bahrain is looking to move into the lucrative cruise ship market. As many other small island nations have found, the cruise industry offers several advantages. First, it tends to attract customers from the higher end of the income spectrum...
The Economic Development Board (EDB), the kingdom’s investment agency, reported in February 2013 that one of the most important tasks for the economy is to develop more labour-intensive industries. While it has a relatively diversified economy, Bahrain still relies heavily on its hydrocarbons sector, which does not provide significant employment...
The rapidly expanding population presents Bahrain with a number of challenges, including the need to provide more housing, transport infrastructure, utilities, educational opportunities, health care and food over the coming years. The kingdom will not have to meet these needs alone, however, as several of its neighbours in the GCC are providing...
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