Bahrain has always been one of the more connected centres of the Gulf. It has been a vibrant entrepôt for millennia, boasting a maritime history dating back to the commercial traffic that once plied the waters between ancient Mesopotamia and the civilizations of the Indus valley. Its geographic location has resulted in a particularly close...
As investors open up to this alternative investment class, real estate investment trusts (REITs) are gradually gaining traction within the GCC. In 2016 we saw the listing – but not an initial public offering (IPO) – of Riyad REIT at Tadawul, as well as the IPO of Eskan Bank REIT, which completed its offering on December 6, 2016 and listed on...
The Bahraini bond and sukuk (Islamic bond) market has been the best performing GCC fixed-income market up until December 2016, returning an average of 8.7% despite a turbulent period which saw oil prices fall to as low as $28 and the country stripped of its investment-grade, long-term issuer rating.
The region’s exchanges have operated in adverse economic conditions since the decline of oil prices began in the second half of 2014, and the Bahrain Bourse (BHB) is no exception. However, the apparent stabilisation of global oil prices in 2016 has brought a similar firming of the main index and, after a year of shrinking stock prices, some...
The global Islamic finance industry is a rapidly growing but relatively new phenomenon, and therefore the approach of national regulators varies from one jurisdiction to the next. Almost all regulatory frameworks, however, fall within two broad models: a centralised system, with some form of higher sharia authority to pronounce upon regulatory...
The ability of Bahrain’s government to maintain its infrastructure development programme and a GDP per capita of nearly $50,000, according to KPMG, should combine to generate ample opportunities for the kingdom’s banks to grow their assets. However, potential sector expansion is limited by the fact that the domestic market, characterised by a...
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