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Investment Opportunities in Bahrain
1. Financial services:
Central Bank of Bahrain(CBB) is the regulatory authority for all financial institutions in Bahrain. CBB ensure the application of rules and regulations by all institutions that fall under its authority, and it also pressures these institutions to comply by policies and laws.
Core Financial Services
- Islamic Financing, and Islamic banking services.
- Insurance and re-insurance
- Solidarity services
- Command assets programs
- Assets management programs
2. Industrial and specialized services
· Easy access to the region
· Financial sector’s high demand for professional services.
· The low operational costs
· The availability of skilled manpower
· The preferred legal environment
Professional services and industrial firms include:
AT Kearny, CB Richard Ellis, Deloitte, Ernst and Young, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, and the international advertising agency JWT, KPMG, McKinsey & Company, Norton Rose, Agility Logistics, and Roland Berger.
3. Logistics Services
Bahrain is consideredas an ideal platform in the Middle East in the field of providing logistics services for companies. A number of well-known companies have chosen Bahrain as a hub for its services.
Logistic Privileges:
- Accessibility to the economies of neighboring countries.
- The availability of a variety of advanced transport networks (land, sea, and air transport networks), with minimum travel time between sea ports, airports, and logistics zones of the Gulf region.
- Superior free business environment in the region.
Logistics companies in Bahrain include:
Agility, Agunsa, APM Terminals, Aramex, DHL, Expeditors, FedEx, GAC, Kuehne+Nagel, Panalpina, TNT, UPS and others.
4. Education and Training
Bahrain is a regional leader in education, hosting conferences that attract leading educational academics from around the world.
We have a thriving education sector, including an expanding public education and training sector, and private schools offering curricula from around the world
The Quality Assurance Authority for Education and Training safeguards standards
A significant portion of the budget assigned to Tamkeen, the national labour fund, is available for private sector education and training
5. Manufacturing
At the heart of the GCC’s trillion dollar market, Bahrain is the ideal base for meeting the Gulf’s growing appetite for manufactured goods.
Bahrain offers manufacturing companies the following benefits:
- Central location reduces freight costs
- Excellent road, sea and air links – one hour’s drive from 50% of Saudi Arabia’s economy (with the Kingdom’s Riyadh business hub only four hours away), home to Bahrain’s national carrier, Gulf Air, which has the largest regional network and connects to over 50 destinations worldwide, and home to one of the Gulf’s largest trans-shipment hubs
- Membership of the GCC common market guarantees duty-free trade
- Bilateral trade and economic agreements with over 60 countries, including China, France, India, and Singapore, as well as a Free Trade Agreement with the United States and a Double Taxation Agreement with the UK.
- Plentiful supply of specialist, skilled and semi-skilled workers
- Supportive labour fund.
- Competitive costs for labour, industrial land and energy .
6. Information, Communication & Technology
Bahrain’s position as the Middle East’s most liberal information, communications and technology (ICT) market, along with excellent infrastructure, has encouraged many ICT companies to base their regional headquarters here.
ICT companies already in Bahrain include:
Batelco, Cisco, Hewlett Packard, Huawei, Kalaam Telecom, Lightspeed, Menatelecom, Microsoft, 2Connect, Viva (Saudi Telecom), Software AG, Tech Mahindra, TATA Consultancy Services, WIPRO and Zain.
7. Ownership
100% foreign ownership of business is allowed. Sector-specific and/or company type restrictions may apply.
8. Taxation
Bahrain has the most attractive tax environment in the Gulf, with the same low- or no-tax regime across the entire jurisdiction – not just in designated free-zones. There are no personal income taxes*, no corporation taxes, no wealth taxes or tax on capital gains, no inheritance tax, no restriction on repatriation of capital, profits or dividends and few indirect taxes.
Bahrain was ranked the 12th in regards of economic freedom according to the economic freedom world indicator 2013 published by Wall Street Journal.
9. Workforce
Our workforce is the most educated and skilled in the Gulf. This means you can minimize spending on expatriate packages and build a long-term, sustainable local workforce. For example, Bahrainis comprise two thirds (66%) of the financial services workforce, according to the Central Bank of Bahrain (2010).
10. Low Cost
Our low costs are another important advantage. Basic costs such as rents for offices and industrial land are lower than elsewhere in the region. The combination of subsidies and privatization in the utilities sectors, mean that electricity, gas and water costs are highly competitive. And with low living costs, wages are also highly competitive.
Investing Opportunities in Bahrain
* Logistics
* Education & Training
* Manufacturing
* Information Communications & Technology
* Financials
* Real Estate
* Healthcare
* Construction
* Consultancy
* Engineering
* Chemicals & Plastics
* Packaging
* Financial Services
* Professional & Industrial Services
* Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG)
(source: website of Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
It's a vision that has long enticed energy planners: solar panels stretching out over vast swaths of the Sahara desert, soaking up sun to generate clean, green power.
Most of the GCC region’s private wealth (74 per cent) is controlled by affluent individuals in Saudi Arabia and the UAE, according to a new study by Strategy&, formerly Booz & Company.
Algiers — A Memorandum of Understanding on the investments in the tourist real estate was inked Sunday in Algiers between the National Agency of Tourism Development (ANDT) and Qatari company Diar.
Plans for a law to allow full foreign ownership of companies outside free zones in strategic sectors are at an advanced stage, the Minister of Economy said.
Essential Information
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Area: 41,293 sq km Population: 8.0 million (July 2013 est.) Capital: Berne Principal Towns: The conurbations of Zurich, Basel, Geneva, Lausanne, Lucerne and Winterthur have populations of over 100,000 inhabitants. Languages: German, French, Italian and Romansch are the official languages. English is widely spoken, particularly in business and commerce. Gross Domestic Product: $362.4 billion (2012 est.) Gross Domestic Product: $629.5 billion (2012 est.) (PPP) GDP per capita (Nominal): $78,726 (2012 est.) GDP per capita (PPP): $54,600 (2012 est.) International reserves (of foreign exchange and gold): $331.9 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Population: 7,996,026 (July 2013 est.) Ethnic groups: German 65%, French 18%, Italian 10%, Romansch 1%, other 6% Age Distribution (2013 est.) Population Growth 0.85% (2013 est.)
Travel to Switzerland: |
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Economy of Yemen Yemen is a low income country that is highly dependent on declining oil resources for revenue. Petroleum accounts for roughly 25% of GDP and 70% of government revenue. Yemen has tried to counter the effects of its declining oil resources by diversifying its economy through an economic reform program initiated in 2006 that is designed to bolster non-oil sectors of the economy and foreign investment. During the last ten years gross domestic product (GDP) grew at an average rate of 4 per cent. In 2000 GDP was estimated at $9.7 billion, it increased to $16.7 billion in 2005 and to $25.1 billion in 2009 according to International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimations. GDP for 2010 was estimated at $30 billion. Since the oil discovery, it can be seen important changes in the economic structure according to IMF data of GDP by kind of economic activity (1970-2009). The contribution of mining and industrial sector in the GDP, mainly because of oil production, had increased highly at the expense of the agriculture sector. While agricultural sector contribution were about 30% in the GDP compared to about 10% for mining and industrial sectors, in 2008 this percentage was less than 10% compared to more than 40% of GDP for mining and industrial sectors. In October 2009, Yemen exported its first liquefied natural gas as part of this diversification effort. In January 2010, the international community established the Friends of Yemen group that aims to support Yemen's efforts towards economic and political reform, and in August 2010 the IMF approved a three-year $370 million program to further this effort. Yemen's national economy is almost paralyzed after the anti-regime protests severely affected key economic sectors. In less than a year, Yemen which was enjoying a steady growth rate and a development in all sectors of the industries is now facing a mounting deficit, an industrial crisis of momentous proportion, a serious cash flow problems as well as a banking crisis. After shrinking by 12.7 percent in 2011 when political unrest crippled the economy, the IMF was predicting 4.8 percent expansion in 2013. The nominal gross domestic product was estimated at $32.2bn in 2012. The IMF estimates GDP to shrink more by -2.2% in 2014 before growing by 3.6% in 2015.
Essential Information Area: 536,869 sq km All arriving non-Yemeni visitors require visas which can be obtained from all embassies and consulates in the Arab world, except Morocco. The principle offices are; UK - London, France - Paris, Germany - Berlin, Switzerland - Geneva, Russia - Moscow, Czech Republic - Prague and the USA - New York and Washington. A visitor with the necessary visa wishing to stay for more than 15 days must register at the immigration office in Sanaa, Taiz or Hodeida and obtain an exit visa. Emergency visas can usually be obtained by bona fide travellers, at the airport, for some YR 10.
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Economy of United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a federation of seven different emirates which together comprise the third largest economy in the Middle East behind Saudi Arabia and Iran. Its per capita GDP is second after Qatar. The UAE is an important producer of natural gas and oil, ranking seventh globally in total proven reserves of both. Abu Dhabi possesses the majority of oil and natural gas reserves followed by Dubai, with small amounts in Sharjah and Ras al-Khaimah. The country is also a member of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Despite having the most diversified economy in the Middle East, the UAE remains largely dependent upon the hydrocarbons sector for economic growth. The UAE's strategic plan for the next few years focuses on diversification and creating more opportunities for nationals through improved education and increased private sector employment. UAE is a major contributor to the growth of the Middle East region. Over the past 42 years, the UAE’s GDP growth rate ballooned 200 times to $360 billion in 2012. While Dubai’s activities may generate more headlines in the media, Abu Dhabi is the economic powerhouse among the emirates, owing to the fact that it possesses the lion’s share of hydrocarbon reserves. Accounting for 90 per cent of UAE oil and gas production, Abu Dhabi has more than 90,000 million barrels of recoverable crude and the world’s fifth largest deposits of natural gas. Successful efforts at economic diversification have reduced the portion of GDP based on oil and gas output to 25%. Since the discovery of oil in the UAE more than 30 years ago, the UAE has undergone a profound transformation from an impoverished region of small desert principalities to a modern state with a high standard of living. UAE’s strong macroeconomic performance has been supported by solid macroeconomic policies (see Figure-4 for selected indicators). Economic growth in the UAE accelerated to 4.4 per cent in inflation-adjusted terms in 2012 from a downwardly revised 3.9% the previous year as activity picked up across all sectors, according to National Bureau of Statistics. The Economist Intelligence Unit predicts that in the coming 5- year period of 2012-2016 the average fiscal surplus will be 3.9% of GDP, current account surplus - 5.3% of GDP, trade surplus - 15.3% of GDP, and real GDP growth - 5.1% per annum. One of the most important factors is the role played by good and stable oil prices in general over the last year. Oil prices averaged $112 per barrel last year, up from $109 in 2011. The non-oil sector share on the Gulf country's real GDP was estimated at 67.3% in 2012. On the strength of its hydrocarbon sector the UAE is one of the world's wealthiest nations, with a gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (at current prices) estimated at $66,113 in 2012. Beyond the hydrocarbon economy—which continues to account for approximately 80 percent of total government revenues—the UAE is becoming one of the world's most important financial centers and a major trading center in the Middle East. Investments in infrastructure and technology, and the development of projects such as the Khalifa Industrial Zone Abu Dhabi (KIZAD) and other economic "free zones," continue to provide the UAE with insurance against oil price declines and global economic stagnation. Since the bottom of the economic recession in 2009, the UAE solidified its economic portfolio, but it continues to rely on its vast hydrocarbon resources for the majority of its economic activity. The economy was expected to continue to grow further to reach $395 billion in 2013 (3.6% growth) and as much as $410 billion in 2014. An IMF report shows that the UAE economy accounted for more than a quarter of the GCC’s GDP of $1.482 trillion in 2012. The contribution of the construction industry is particularly significant to the UAE economy, especially when massive investments received in this sector from both public and private enterprises are considered. The political stability experienced by this country, its ability to attract international business and investment, its growing non-oil sector, tax-free environment and attractive salaries have lured builders, architects and consultants to UAE. High public spending and a steady increase in private sector investment have enabled this country to maintain its position as the second-largest Gulf Arab economy after Saudi Arabia, and among the fastest-growing economies in the world.
Essential Information Area: 83,600 sq km
A visit requires a letter, or telex, of sponsorship to a UAE embassy before a visa can be issued. Bona fide business visitors, Arab and foreign entrepreneurs and experts can now obtain a seven-day transit visa at the airport on entry; this could be revoked.
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Economy of Tunisia Tunisia has a diverse economy, with important agricultural, mining, tourism, and manufacturing sectors. Real growth, which averaged almost 5% over the past decade, declined to 4.6% in 2008 and to 3-4% in 2009-10 because of economic contraction and slowing of import demand in Europe - Tunisia's largest export market. Tunisia faced economic difficulties and a series of external shocks following the January 2011 revolution. Due to a challenging international economic environment, as well as regional and domestic tensions, real GDP contracted by 2 percent in 2011, foreign direct investment (FDI) and tourism declined by more than 30 percent year-on-year, and unemployment rose to record levels. However, after the sharp economic decline, real GDP growth picked up to about 3 percent in 2012. The deteriorating current account deficit—caused partly by falling demand from Europe—has been financed by sustained donor financing, strengthened FDI and market access, which helped increase reserves (but to a level still below 2010). Helped by base effects early in the year, tourism and FDI have rebounded (a 34 per cent and 28 per cent y-o-y increase), pushing 2012 overall real GDP growth to 3.6 per cent. The overall unemployment rate improved, narrowing from 18.9 per cent at end-2011 to 16.7 per cent at end-2012, but youth and female unemployment remained high at 33 and 24 per cent, despite new public-sector jobs and the government’s insertion programs for the unemployed. A fragile banking sector, widespread social and economic disparities, and high youth unemployment are key challenges. A higher wage bill and rising subsidies, in response to increasing social demands, drove government spending, contributing to a wider fiscal deficit in 2012. Higher food and fuel prices – triggered mostly by increases in international prices – pushed overall inflation above 5 percent and contributed to further increase in the fiscal and current account deficits. To ease these pressures and to energize the economy, the authorities have designed an economic program, which aims at restoring fiscal space, rebuilding foreign reserves, reducing banking sector vulnerabilities and fostering more inclusive growth.
Essential Information Area: 164,150 sq km Visa Requirements: No visas are required.
Diplomatic representation of Tunis in Switzerland
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Economy of Syria Syria is a middle-income country with a diversified economy based on agriculture, industry, and energy. Agriculture contributes some 17 percent of Syria's GDP, compared to over 24 percent from industry, including oil, and around 54 percent from services. According to IMF data, the Syrian economy expanded by 3.4 percent in 2010 after growing 5.9 percent in 2009. The oil sector contributes about 20 per cent of the government’s revenues and about 40 per cent of its export receipts, according to data from the World Bank. Oil, exports of services and remittances are the main sources of foreign earnings and enable the government to finance its imports. The Syrian economy is totally exhausted after several years of revolution. All economic indicators are in the red in the violence-ravaged country. GDP has collapsed, inflation has skyrocketed, unemployment has risen, and the current account deficit continues to widen. These problems are compounded by EU sanctions, especially on the export of oil. The Syrian Center for Policy Research estimated that GDP has contracted 3.7% in 2011 and 18.8% in 2012 against original projections of an increase of 7.1% and 5.6%, respectively. Other indices are faring no better. Per capita income was forecast to drop from $4,784 in 2010 to $3050 in 2012. The budget deficit was forecast to grow significantly, and public debt, which represented 22.6 percent of GDP in 2010, was expected to exceed 50 percent in 2012 due to a 40 percent decrease in budget revenues and a 20 percent increase in spending. The Syrian economy is running at 30 percent capacity, and the banking system in the shadows. Public banks are under international sanctions, and private establishments are idling due to caution. The currency has eroded in value 50 percent against the dollar during the first two years of the turmoil despite two sales of $3 billion in gold and silver by the Central Bank. Total reserves, which stood at $19.5 billion, were predicted to fall to $9.6 billion in 2012 according to EIU estimates. The negative social and economic consequences of the violence are expected to have long-term consequences. The population growth has shrunk from 2.45% growth in 2010 to 2.5% shrinkage in 2012, with much of the educated, professional population taking flight. It is also worth noting the impact that sanctions have had on ordinary Syrian citizens. An estimated 28.3% of the first two years’ GDP loss is due to sanctions. Out of the 3.1 million newly poor individuals, 877,000 can be attributed to the effect of sanctions. Exports declined by 52% for Arab countries, 93% for EU countries, and 82% for Turkey. The sanctions make it much more difficult for Syria to import essential goods, including fuel and medicines, making these a luxury for many.
Essential Information Area: 185,180 sq km DEMOGRAPHY Age Distribution (2012 est.) NATURAL RESOURCES Visa Requirements: All non-Syrian and non-Arabic passport holders require visas. These can be obtained from the consulates abroad.
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