The Middle East

In February 2015 the leading participants in the region’s insurance market came to Bahrain for the Middle East Insurance Forum, an annual event which has become the largest and most influential industry gathering in the Gulf. Staged under the official patronage of the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB), the event attracted around 500 attendees,...

For decades, Bahrain has been a regional centre for insurance, with domestic and international firms taking advantage of the country’s robust yet accommodating regulatory structure to pursue business both locally and in rapidly emerging regional markets. The nation’s insurance industry faces increased competition on two fronts: at home, a...

As a pioneer in Islamic finance regulations and the home of some of the most important standard-setting institutions in the global sharia-compliant arena, Bahrain is at the forefront of the international Islamic financial services (IFS) industry. Islamic banks in the kingdom continue to expand, serving the region as well as the domestic market...

The kingdom of Bahrain (rated “BBB-”) has developed into a seasoned and popular issuer, tapping local and international capital markets in 2015 for a record amount of debt. Bahrain raised 800m in Bahraini dinars and 1.5bn in US dollars, as the kingdom sought to strengthen its economy and finance its growing deficit, which is estimated to reach...

While Bahrain continues to raise the profile of its bourse through cooperation with regional and global markets, it is also making strenuous efforts to heighten awareness of the advantages of investment among the local population. To do so, it has taken a multi-faceted approach.

The Bahrain Bourse (BHB) was established in 1987 and commenced operations in 1989, with only two stocks trading. Since then, the bourse has grown to include 46 common stocks (including two closed for trading, and two non-Bahraini companies listed on the exchange), government bonds and mutual funds. The market is serviced by 12 brokers, of...