Industry

After a year characterised by falling global prices for both crude oil and aluminium, there is a surprising degree of optimism in Bahrain’s economy. With major investments in its infrastructure being financed by the Gulf Development Fund and Aluminium Bahrain’s (Alba) sixth pot line moving ahead, there is a sense that Bahrain is busy, from its...

The Middle East’s appetite for sweets and savoury snacks can be thanked for more than $240m worth of investments in Bahrain in just two years. In 2016 the new $90m Mondelez factory is due to start producing biscuits that will be shipped all over the MENA region and parts of Asia. It is opening two years after Arabian Sugar’s $150m refinery...

As Aluminium Bahrain (Alba) celebrates the 45th anniversary of aluminium production in Bahrain, the firm is looking to the future and working on the construction of its sixth pot line, an expansion plan that will make the company the world’s largest single-site smelter. A few weeks after Alba announced it would be going ahead with the...

The relaxation of sanctions has bolstered foreign interest in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector. Why are international brands eager to re-enter the beverage segment?

In the wake of the nation’s historic election in November 2015, Myanmar’s garment manufacturers have expressed cautious optimism about the potential for new business and continued growth. The industry has posted record expansion in recent years, with export revenues reaching $1.56bn in 2014, according to the Myanmar Garment Manufacturers...

With a thriving economy and a youthful, burgeoning middle class, Myanmar is poised for rapid growth in retail spending. In the four years since the nation’s emergence from a lengthy period of economic isolation in 2012, disposable incomes have increased rapidly, and a handful of local retailers have stepped up their operations to meet rising...