The Middle East

Several major expansion projects are currently under way in the hydrocarbons sector, pointing both to the significant role the industry still plays in the economy and to the positive efforts being taken to leverage the use of the kingdom’s natural resources.

Strong real estate growth continues in Bahrain, with a number of residential, commercial and hospitality developments coming on-line in 2017 and 2018. However, rental prices have not been immune to the ongoing regional challenges, notably lower oil prices, with rents dropping in 2017 for residential real estate, and remaining subdued for the...

In recent years there has been a strong push among Gulf nations to improve regional connectivity, with the proposed Gulf Railway – which will ultimately link Kuwait City with Muscat via Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the UAE – perhaps the most ambitious of the projects under development. However, it is by no means alone, with substantial investment...

While 2017 saw the construction sector’s rapid growth slow somewhat, Bahrain has an impressive pipeline of construction projects lined up for the next few years. A strong focus on transportation and industrial infrastructure, as well as the construction of tens of thousands of affordable housing units, is expected to be among the key drivers...

Targeting improvements in domestic infrastructure as well as expanding the links between the kingdom, the rest of the Gulf region and further afield, Bahrain is investing heavily in its transport networks. Among the major ongoing developments is the Airport Modernisation Programme, launched in 2016 to cater for rising air traffic and with the...

Bahrain has seen a boom in mixed-use and waterfront developments, with a number of major projects currently under construction that will add significantly to the high-end residential and commercial real estate landscape, not to mention expand the available hotel and tourism-related infrastructure that could be influential in helping grow the...