Tourism’s GDP contribution is set to soar in the next few years, buoyed by billions of dollars of investment in new infrastructure. Big-ticket projects, including mixed-use real estate developments and a $1.1bn overhaul of the Bahrain International Airport (BIA), have driven investment levels to new highs in recent years. A new passenger...
Benefitting from a diverse portfolio of tourist draws including UNESCO World Heritage sites, the popular and growing annual Formula 1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix event, and a variety of high-end retail developments and hotels, Bahrain’s tourism sector has been a notable economic success story in recent years. Visitor numbers, revenues and...
E-commerce is now well established in developed markets, where the majority of adults make at least occasional purchases online. However, levels of activity on the whole remain relatively low in emerging countries, as these markets are restrained by a wide range of challenges, among them less-developed financial and logistical infrastructure...
Despite its diversified economy, Bahrain has nonetheless faced pressures in recent years as a result of the 2014-15 drop in global oil prices. However, a multibillion-dollar aid package from other Gulf states and an accompanying fiscal adjustment plan, as well as growth following a partial oil price recovery and a major oil and gas discovery, offer hope for an economic turnaround in 2019.
Political stability and continued economic growth are bringing about significant development in Côte d’ Ivoire’s retail sector. The Ivorian middle class is growing, currently representing over 2m of the country’s 23m inhabitants, according to government figures, and is attracting large flows of foreign direct investments to the consumer goods...