Launched in 2017, the Bahrain Investment Market (BIM) has so far secured one listing. However, with expectations that the worst of the Covid-19 pandemic may now be over, the financial authorities are intent on breathing new life into the initiative as a means of promoting rapid growth of high-potential small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Alongside significant political efforts to speed up the energy transition, 2021 was a record-breaking year for green finance, as governments, international institutions and lenders alike sought to support the shift towards renewables. This mirrored developments in generation: new renewable energy capacity reached an all-time high of 290 GW in 2021. Meanwhile, the issuance of...
Bahrain’s capital markets have navigated challenging times in recent years, as the world has faced the Covid-19 pandemic, high volatility in energy markets and the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Despite these challenges, the kingdom continues to exercise an important influence on regional capital markets, attract investors and provide a sound platform for listed...
As environmental, social and governance (ESG) concerns become increasingly important in the corporate world, insurance companies are emerging as potentially key players in the shift away from fossil fuel-powered projects. The launch of the UN-convened Net-Zero Insurance Alliance (NZIA) in July 2021 reflects an ongoing change in the global insurance industry towards the wider...
The Gulf banking sector has witnessed an increase in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) in recent years, driven in part by the economic headwinds associated with the Covid-19 pandemic. At the outset of the pandemic in the first quarter of 2020, it was anticipated that the economic slowdown and the associated fall in oil prices would accelerate the M&A trend among banks in...
After a resilient performance in 2020, the international Islamic finance sector fared positively in 2021 as an improved economic environment, a rise in the number of large projects, and an increased focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors combined to drive demand for services.
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