Bahrain

Manama’s status as a regional financial centre has attracted some of the world’s leading banks to Bahrain, but it has also proved fertile ground for a number of domestic giants. An examination of the nation’s five largest locally incorporated lenders reveals the diversity of the market: Islamic banks rub shoulders with conventional; young banking...

In early 2012, as the Kingdom’s banks began to publish their financial results for the previous year, it became apparent that the political unrest of 2011 did not have a significantly adverse effect on their performance. Still, the unexpected developments of that year did present the domestic banking sector with a number of short-term challenges,...

Famously one of the most diverse in the region, the Bahraini banking sector is composed of local, regional and international firms which have flourished in a liberal but well-regarded regulatory environment. The past year has been a challenging one for the industry, particularly given the unrest in the early months, yet most licensed lenders in...

In the context of the GCC Bahrain stands out for its high level of national participation in the workforce. Since it first took root in the 1970s the financial services sector has now achieved 70% Bahrainisation, with up to 14,062 people employed in investment banks, private equity houses and insurance firms. The financial services sector,...

Financial services, industrial manufacturing and a business-friendly environment have traditionally marked out the island Kingdom from other GCC states. Lacking the hydrocarbons of its neighbours, Bahrain has spent years diversifying its economy to meet future challenges.

“Business-friendly Bahrain” is a well-known brand in the US, Europe and Asia and despite the political unrest international and regional investors have not panicked. Foreign direct investment (FDI) has deep roots in the Kingdom and the government already has an established support network, including the Economic Development Board (EDB), which works...