Islamic Financial Services
In light of its history as a regional financial hub, and the presence in the country of several major international Islamic financial institutions and support bodies, Bahrain has a well-developed, sharia-compliant financial services sector. The Islamic banking and takaful (Islamic insurance) segments have been posting healthy growth in recent years, though profit margins in each are under greater pressure than in their conventional counterparts. Both segments are also witnessing a trend towards consolidation, which industry players say should help create stronger institutions better able to invest in expansion and technological development. The kingdom is a major global centre for the Islamic finance segment, and is home to four standard-setting institutions and infrastructure providers.
