The Middle East

In a bid to expand access and widen their reach, educational institutions are increasingly exploring the possibilities of the metaverse and associated extended-reality (XR) approaches. The metaverse comprises a range of technologies which immerse users in a virtual environment. It denotes a 3D medium that combines virtual reality (VR) and...

The Covid-19 pandemic and the resulting disruption to physical interactions caused complications for all sectors of the economy. In the education sector, the pandemic created challenges to learning continuity as schools and universities had to suspend in-person learning for long periods. However, this disruption has accelerated the...

Bahrain’s health sector is undergoing a series of changes under the National Health Plan (NHP) 2016-25 that are designed to improve patient choice, raise standards and encourage private sector involvement.

Education and health care are important policy priorities in Bahrain’s wider drive to develop a knowledge-led economy. As the first country in the GCC region to introduce government-sponsored education in 1919, Bahrain has a long track record of public instruction, as well as a robust private education ecosystem that has developed in the...

We are witnessing tax regimes evolve around the world, especially in the Middle East. This is not only due to the shifting economic and social conditions, but also to the rapidly changing global marketplace in a digital era. With accelerated digital transformation taking place over the past few years – hastened by factors disruptions such as...

Bahrain has long enjoyed its status as a tax-free jurisdiction until the introduction of excise tax in late 2017, followed by introduction of value-added tax (VAT) in 2019. The country is now home to a rapidly evolving tax landscape, with several notable tax and reporting regulations introduced since 2017.