As Bahrain’s banking sector completes its third full year of operation in a lower oil price environment, profitability and asset growth in the industry has turned flat. However, thanks to a robust regulatory framework, there has been no significant deterioration in asset quality, and there is sufficient liquidity in the system to allow banks...
The rapid evolution of the financial technology ( fintech) arena has presented a dilemma to regulators across the world. The industry is emerging as one of the most vibrant segments of the wider financial services sector, and in 2015 collected over $22bn in investment, according to the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), a figure that is expected...
Small businesses play an important and growing role in Bahrain’s economy. According to the Labour Market Regulatory Authority, more than 90% of licensed companies had less than 10 employees in 2016 and approximately 98% of them employed less than 50 people each. The activity of this prominent part of the economy has become easier to track in...
In October 2016 the Bahrain Bourse (BHB) obtained permission from the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) to establish the Bahrain Investment Market (BIM), paving the way for the exchange to open its much-anticipated market to small to mid-cap companies. Officially launched in March 2017, the initiative is in accord with the government’s broader...
Bahrain has been a regional magnet for foreign direct investment (FDI) for decades. The accumulation of foreign capital over many years means that, relative to the size of the economy, it figures more prominently on the national balance sheet than in any other GCC state: according to the June 2017 “Economic Quarterly” report by the Economic...
Bahrain’s efforts to narrow its fiscal deficit is taking place across a number of fronts. On the revenue side of the equation the awaited introduction of value-added tax is expected to have the single-biggest impact over the next two years. In terms of cutting costs, the ongoing reduction of energy subsidies is garnering considerable attention...
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