All Regions and All Sectors

While 2022 was a year of global economic uncertainty fuelled by inflation, geopolitical crises and supply chain insecurity, the Middle East witnesseda second consecutive year of economic growth, with countries in the region investing in new technologies and projects that could herald greater integration in the years ahead. In April 2023 the IMF’s “World Economic Outlook” projected that…

Financial technology (fintech) firms are gaining market share that was formerly the preserve of established remittance service providers. Remittances have grown in importance in recent years and today constitute the largest source of foreign income for many developing economies. They also tend to be countercyclical, increasing during economic downturns or natural disasters when other capital flows…

The launch of the National Labour Market Plan 2021-23 represents the government’s decades-long effort to improve employment opportunities and conditions for workers in Bahrain. A plan detailing required policy amendments and the schedule of launch dates for strategic initiatives was inaugurated in 2004 to establish synergies between labour market and education development programmes. Both the Labour…

Bahrain has made the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), adopted in 2015, a central component of its socio-economic planning. The SDGs represent 17 global objectives that call for action to eradicate poverty, preserve the planet, and promote peace and prosperity by 2030. The kingdom has made significant strides towards achieving these goals domestically, with the government taking steps to align…

In June 2022 the UK and the GCC officially launched negotiations for a comprehensive trade deal to reduce or remove tariffs on a series of goods and services. Anne-Marie Trevelyan, former UK secretary of trade, met with Nayef Falah Al Hajraf, the GCC secretary-general, and representatives from the six GCC countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Energising Renewables With…