In recent years Bahrain has seen the introduction of a series of laws designed to further develop the kingdom’s financial sector, facilitate local and foreign investment, and promote Bahrain as a transparent, secure and cost-effective place to do business in the MENA region. Contains a viewpoint from Hatim Q Zu’bi, Zu’bi & Partners Attorneys & Legal Consultants.
Bahrain boasts one of the most-developed telecommunications markets in the region, and the authorities are planning for further infrastructure upgrades, including the rollout of an ultra-fast broadband network across the country. Work is under way to develop the kingdom as a regional ICT hub, with a particular focus on areas such as the cloud, e-commerce, gaming, cybersecurity and the local start-up scene. Such efforts have been bolstered by a recent surge in foreign investment into the ICT sector, led by a landmark investment by Amazon Web Services in 2017 in the cloud and data centre segment. This chapter contains an interview with Mohammed Ali Al Qaed, Chief Executive, Information and eGovernment Authority.
Although major health indicators have improved in recent decades, a growing and ageing population, an elevated incidence of non-communicable diseases and rising care costs have weighed on Bahrain’s health sector in recent years. The government is currently making major strides in addressing these challenges, however, most notably through the planned rollout of a national health insurance system, as well as a flagship inspection and accreditation programme aimed at improving patient outcomes and quality of care. Bolstered by rising out-of-pocket expenditure and the development of large-scale, integrated medical infrastructure, investment in the sector is set to rise in the coming years, supporting steady and sustainable expansion. This chapter contains an interview with Dr Mariam Al Jalahma, CEO, National Health Regulatory Authority.
Bahrain’s education sector benefits from regionally strong and improving student outcomes, rising K-12 and private school enrolment, and an expansive, ongoing reform agenda aimed at improving the quality of teaching and infrastructure across all levels. Investment in the sector is set to soar over the medium term, bolstered by the high-potential pre-school and kindergarten segments, as well as rising demand for private primary and secondary instruction. Nevertheless, the sector faces flat public spending, a strained public university system, worsening gender disparity at the K-12 level, and a mismatch between post-secondary preferences and labour market needs. Still, education foundations remain solid, with expanded inspection programmes and a potential resurgence of expatriate students expected to support a steady near- and mid-term growth outlook. This chapter contains an interview with Jeff Zabudsky, CEO, Bahrain Polytechnic.
Benefitting from a diverse portfolio of tourist draws including UNESCO World Heritage sites, the popular Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix event and a variety of high-end retail developments and hotels, Bahrain’s tourism sector has been an economic success story in recent years. Visitor numbers, revenues and investments have been on an upwards trajectory since 2016, and authorities have intensified efforts to develop the sector, channeling billions of dollars into new infrastructure, including mixed-use developments, an expansive airport upgrade and a new convention centre. Although a recent surge of new hotel rooms has weighed on occupancy and room rates, the sector remains well positioned to continue on a strong growth path in 2019, with demand set to rise as the kingdom ramps up its international marketing activities.
Bahrain is one of the most diversified economies in the GCC region, due in large part to a well-established manufacturing industry. The kingdom’s biggest industrial segment by far is aluminium production, and its importance is set to grow further with the launch in 2019 of a new pot line at national aluminium producer Aluminium Bahrain (Alba), which will increase the firm’s capacity by nearly half. A range of other manufacturing segments are also well established, including refining and petrochemicals, and recent years have seen growing foreign investment in the development of other industrial segments such as food and pharmaceuticals. This chapter contains an interview with Tim Murray, CEO, Alba.
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