The Guide contains listings of accommodation options throughout the capital city for both business and leisure travellers. Helpful information is provided on visa regulations and business etiquette, as well as public and private transport options for navigating the country during your stay.…
The legal framework analyses the introduction of a revised code of conduct for auditors; the commercial law that improves the ease of doing business; new rules on the retirement age and pension eligibility, and updated resolutions that aim to enhance data privacy. This chapter contains a viewpoint from Hatim Zu’bi, Partner, Zu’bi & Partners, Attorneys & LegalConsultants …
Bahrain has long enjoyed its status as a tax-free jurisdiction prior to the introduction of excise tax in late 2017, followed by the introduction of value-added tax (VAT) in 2019. The kingdom is now home to an evolving tax landscape, with several notable tax and reporting regulations introduced since 2017. Bahrain is well established as a financial leader in the Middle East, and in recent years the…
Bahrain was the first Gulf country to establish government-sponsored education in 1919 and it continues to invest in strengthening its education system. With Bahrain Economic Vision 2030 – the country’s national economic diversification blueprint – and the Bahrain National Higher Education Strategy 2014-24 guiding the kingdom’s schooling strategy, Bahrain is expanding its public education infrastructure,…
Bahrain’s manufacturing industry is a key contributor to non-oil GDP and is one of the priority sectors targeted by the government to drive economic diversification. Aluminium manufacturing, led by the majority government-owned enterprise Aluminium Bahrain, is the country’s largest industrial segment. The kingdom’s globally competitive capabilities and output will be further leveraged through…
Bahrain’s construction and real estate sectors contributed a combined 12.5% to GDP in 2022, with the two recording growth of 1.4% and 5.5% for the year, respectively. They are engines for job creation, as the country’s economic diversification agenda includes major infrastructure projects. The development of high-value sectors has resulted in significant construction activity, with new and existing…
With Bahrain’s 780-sq-km landmass stretching across 33 islands, efficient transport connectivity between the country’s four main islands – Bahrain Island, Al Muharraq Island, Sitra Island and Umm Al Nasan Island – is integral to economic development. National strategy has focused on establishing Bahrain as an international tourism destination and logistics centre. That drive has resulted in…
Bahrain is implementing a long-term strategy to transform its tourism sector into a major engine of growth under Bahrain Economic Vision 2030, the kingdom’s blueprint for economic diversification. The country is seeking to leverage its location at a continental crossroads and its unique position as the region’s sole island nation to bolster the sector. The kingdom identified tourism development…
Bahrain, known as the birthplace of the Arabian Peninsula’s oil industry, is navigating the challenges and opportunities of the energy transition. While focusing on renewables production, energy efficiency and sustainability, the kingdom is also leveraging its remaining hydrocarbons resources. The country has made promising hydrocarbons discoveries that indicate the potential for further expansion…
Bahrain’s capital markets are being revitalised as the kingdom and the broader Middle East emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic-induced downturn. New regulations, partnerships with neighbouring countries and a national plan to boost the economy are all set to help drive growth in capital markets. The Central Bank of Bahrain is the single regulator of securities trading in the kingdom, and its Capital…
