Targeting improvements in domestic infrastructure as well as expanding the links between the kingdom, the rest of the Gulf region and further afield, Bahrain is investing heavily in its transport networks. Among the major ongoing developments is the Airport Modernisation Programme, launched in 2015 to cater for rising air traffic, with the aim of turning Bahrain International Airport into one...
While Bahrain has pushed successfully to become one of the most diversified economies in the Gulf region, petroleum products still make up a significant share of the country’s total exports: 50% of all exports in 2016, according to data from the UN International Trade Statistics Database and the World Bank. In addition, the drive to establish a flourishing industrial base, coupled with...
A low oil price environment has presented a number of challenges for Bahrain’s vibrant and fiercely competitive insurance sector. Downward pressure on premiums and a dearth of underwriting opportunities across the region have negatively affected the bottom lines of most Manama-based insurers. However, new opportunities in areas such as health care insurance and the extension of compulsory...
Reduced oil prices and fiscal austerity measures being carried out by governments across the GCC have resulted in a challenging environment for Bahrain’s sharia-compliant financial institutions. The competitive domestic market – home to the largest concentration of Islamic financial institutions in the Middle East – has reacted to adverse conditions, with what appears to be the beginning of a...
Despite a challenging investment environment, Bahrain’s exchange showed a relatively strong performance in 2017, with index gains in most sectors. Macroeconomic challenges remain in 2018, but new investment instruments and some significant changes to the exchange’s infrastructure are helping it to maintain its status as one of the most progressively regulated markets it the region – a key...
Bahrain’s reputation as a regional financial centre rests in part on the early flourishing of its banking industry. The country’s first modern bank was established nearly 100 years ago following an agreement between the kingdom’s ruler at the time, Sheikh Isa bin Ali Al Khalifa, and the UK-owned and Indian-headquartered Oriental Bank. As Bahrain’s banking sector completes its third full year...
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