Who’s already here Setting up in Bahrain means joining a long list of world-class businesses that have chosen our country as their regional base of operations

Reasons to Invest:

1. Business Friendly Bahrain 

Invest in Bahrain and you’ll see significant financial benefits that ease business operations, increase competitiveness and bolster the bottom line. Bahrain’s population is full of skilled professionals equipped to take on and grow any foreign business venture, while the government has created a framework that offers unparalleled business stability in Bahrain.

No free zone restrictions, 100% foreign ownership allowed for most activities and an average of 30% lower operating costs than regional neighbours–these are just a few of the reasons to invest onshore in business friendly Bahrain.

2.Gateway to the Middle East

At the heart of the Arabian Gulf, Bahrain puts you in a unique position to export directly across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the surrounding region and the Arab world.

The best market access to growing Gulf economies Bahrain’s central Gulf location and superb links to the rest of the Middle East place your company at the heart of the action, with rapid access by road, sea and air.

3.Qualities of Bahrain’s human capital

Human capital is one of the resources that play a key role in how well any business performs. An investment in human capital is an investment in the qualities of the people who comprise your workforce, which includes their intelligence, knowledge, education, training, talents, skills and experience. Quality human capital means better job performance from your employees and a better bottom line for your company. Bahrain’s population offers a highly skilled local and global workforce with the best human capital development in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Bahrain’s demographics provide an ideal mix of qualities for businesses looking to hire top talent and sustain long-term growth.

Tech Savvy

Bahrain ranks 1st in MENA for ICT Skills and 4th globally for internet users (by percentage of population). (2019 Network Readiness Index 2019 by WITSA)

Young

Bahrain’s population is made up of young, talented, and driven individuals. Over 70% of employees in the ICT sector are locals, and 60% of the ICT workforce in Bahrain is in the 18-24 age bracket.(National statistics)

Educated Bahrain ranks 1st in MENA for test scores and years of schooling. (World Bank Human Capital Index 2018)

Bilingual

90% of our ICT workforce is fluent in English and Arabic, the two most commonly spoken languages in Bahrain. Bahrain’s population ranks 1st in MENA and 3rd worldwide in language skills. (National statistics, Expat Insider Survey, Internations 2019)

4. Exceptional lifestyle

Bahrain ranks in the top 10 globally for expat satisfaction – the lifestyle that awaits you and your employees is superb.

5.Forward Thinking government 

Bahrain has established itself as a regional pioneer: with demonstrated commitment towards creating the conditions for business to flourish, a long history of diversification, a progressive outlook for the future.Bahrain’s government works closely with businesses and regulators to explore opportunities to enhance Bahrain’s business environment and nurture optimum commercial conditions. This collaboration has seen Bahrain take solid steps towards introducing initiatives that create an enabling and innovative ecosystem, which allows businesses to thrive.

6.Improving financial access

Bahrain is the first in the region to implement new financial services laws concerning Trusts, Invested Limited Partnerships, and Protected Cell Companies, aimed to introduce more flexible funding structures.

Sector opportunities

1.Financial Services Industry 

Bahrain offers opportunities across all major aspects of finance, from banking and asset wealth management, to FinTech, insurance and Islamic finance. The GCC’s acknowledged financial capital, Bahrain has built a financial services sector comprising around 400 local, regional and global institutions. A regional financial services hub in Bahrain will put you at the centre of a growing concentration of wealth. The regional market is valued at USD 1.5 trillion and Bahrain finance companies are at the focal point of the GCC as well as the wider MENA region. Whether you are a financial services, banking, or exchange company, Bahrain’s progressive regulatory environment ensures the region’s longest established financial centre remains its most innovative.

Who’s Here: 

From banking services to FinTech innovators, companies in Bahrain are moving the industry forward from their key location in Bahrain. Here are just a few of the companies whose investment in Bahrain and its finance industry has been instrumental to their success.

2. Manufacturing Business Opportunities

The fastest, cheapest & most efficient gateway to the region’s largest market.

Participants in manufacturing businesses across the world often face financial and logistical hurdles, but manufacturers operating in Bahrain can avoid most of those challenges. Bahrain offers lower operating costs, a strategic location, a highly skilled workforce and world-class infrastructure, making it the ideal regional base for product manufacturing companies.

3.Logistics Industry

An optimal combination of factors for logistics Bahrain offers a wide range of business logistics opportunities for international companies looking to establish a cost-effective distribution and fulfillment base in the region. Unrivalled access to GCC markets and high-quality customer service from Bahrain EDB maximises the impact of your investment.

4.International Real Estate in Bahrain 

Investment potential in Bahrain’s real estate market continues to grow. The sector is bolstered by a USD 32 billion infrastructure and remains a key pillar of the Kingdom’s economy. An extensive range of investment opportunities, combined with our liberal foreign ownership laws and robust regulatory systems, makes Bahrain a highly competitive destination in the global real estate marketplace.

Real estate in Bahrain is booming in communities across the Kingdom with developments springing up, attracting an increasing array of overseas property investments in large-scale commercial and residential projects. In addition, there is significant interest from across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with many buyers coming from Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. As a result, Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) can find significant opportunities in developing communities in Bahrain.

5. Tourism in Bahrain

Every year, millions of tourists from across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and beyond experience the best Bahrain has to offer. So, what is Bahrain known for? Of all the places to visit, tourists choose the Kingdom for our superb island setting; our cosmopolitan, relaxed way of life; our rich history and culture; exciting major events; delicious food and varied shopping choices. All of these ingredients combine to create a thriving tourism and hospitality sector, which offers investors world-class infrastructure and a broad range of retail, leisure, food and hotel investment opportunities in Bahrain.

6.Investing in Healthcare in Bahrain

Bahrain puts you at the heart of the opportunity in regional healthcare. Prospects for investing in healthcare are substantial, whether you are in wellness and prevention, specialised medical care, mental health, research and development (R&D) or manufacturing. Bahrain’s healthcare sector has solid foundations, exciting growth opportunities, a centralised location and promising talent, making it the future of the healthcare industry in the Gulf.

Healthcare in Bahrain is expanding rapidly with a focus on developing centres of medical excellence. At the same time, a healthcare industry analysis reports that Bahrain has the lowest density of health workers per capita in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), suggesting significant room for expansion (WHO 2017). Hospitals in Bahrain may have the lowest density, but Bahrain medical centres are primed for expansion with an excellent workforce. With a market on the rise and a workforce ripe for development, now is the time to take advantage of healthcare investment opportunities in Bahrain and invest in research facilities and hospitals in Bahrain.

7.Technology & Innovation

Bahrain is a gateway to the GCC region offering great access to Saudi Arabia’s market. Global IT companies choose Bahrain as a hub due to the availability of talent, cost competitiveness, ownership structure and market access to the overall region. According to World Bank Doing Business 2017 report, Bahrain was ranked 2nd in MENA in the ease of doing business index.With strong market conditions created by high mobile penetration, the roll-out of commercial 5G and a business-friendly regulatory environment, Bahrain offers an ideal testbed for communication technology companies looking to take advantage of a region undergoing rapid digital transformation.