For a country with a population of 1.2m, Bahrain has a complex banking landscape with 104 institutions holding licences as of March 2014. There are 80 conventional banks, including 22 conventional retail banks, and 24 Islamic banks, of which six are retail banks. The Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) has been urging greater consolidation across all...
The Middle East
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Articles & Analysis | Mergers and acquisitions reshape Bahrain's banking sector from The Report: Bahrain 2015
Articles & Analysis | Experts discuss Bahrain's banking sector from The Report: Bahrain 2015
Despite being synonymous with financial expertise for more than 40 years, Bahrain is not resting on its laurels, and it faces stiff competition from growing regional centres like Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha and Riyadh. Bahrain climbed 12 places in the 15th Global Financial Centres Index (GFCI) published by Z/Yen Group in March 2014. But its recent...
Industry in Bahrain continues to grow as increasingly low borrowing rates, particularly for manufacturing, demonstrate banks’ willingness to finance projects in the sector. Bahrain’s manufacturing sector accounts for 15% of GDP making it the country’s third-largest economic contributor after hydrocarbons and financial services, and is expected to reach 20% of GDP within the next decade. The...
Chapter | Construction & Real Estate from The Report: Bahrain 2015
The residential segment is well on its way to returning to pre-2009 levels of growth, with the volume of real estate trading expanding by 30% in 2013 and total value of transactions reaching $2.28bn, compared to $1.76bn in 2012. State-funded housing projects are expected to drive expansion, with the government signing its first-ever housing public-private partnership agreement in 2012....
Interviews & Viewpoints | Kamal bin Ahmed, Acting Chief Executive, Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB): Interview from The Report: Bahrain 2015
What needs to be done to ensure that Bahrain’s growth potential is communicated to investors and that perceived risks are adequately addressed?
Articles & Analysis | Bahrain making efforts to improve its fiscal position from The Report: Bahrain 2015
According to the IMF, Bahrain’s economy grew by 5.3% in 2013; however, this was expected to slow somewhat to 3.9% for the following year. One of the main challenges faced by the Bahrain government is how to reduce public spending, especially given downward pressure on oil prices in the latter half of 2014. In this respect, the government has been moving away from the...