Transport

With construction under way on the $1.1bn expansion of its international airport and a further $700m investment being made on road and bridge building, Bahrain is working hard to improve its connections to the rest of the world while shortening journey times for its residents. Public transit is also a priority. Within six months of its new buses starting service in February 2015, some 33,000 passengers were using them daily, and the government is planning to commission a detailed feasibility study on a light rail network. Plans for a new rail and road causeway to Saudi Arabia have been discussed for some time, but this mega-project may have to wait a few years for its turn as Bahrain completes an ambitious programme for infrastructure.

This chapter contains an interview with Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamad Al Khalifa, President, Customs Affairs.