Bahrain 2018 Annual Report

Team
Bahrain

Annual Report 2018

What’s central to
Bahrain’s success this year?

How working together is delivering results

Section 01

At a Glance

Breaking records

US $830m

new direct investment

new & expanding companies

4,772

new jobs created

Sector contribution to Direct Investment (DI)

Tourism, Real Estate, Education, HealthcareUS$ 526,355,372
Financial servicesUS$ 64,412,201
Manufacturing, Transport and LogisticsUS$ 200,325,654
ICTUS$ 39,010,786

Section 02

Highlights

Key new initiatives

1 Electronic Communications and Transactions Law

Electronic Transferable Records Law

US $100m

Al Waha Fund of Funds

Law on the Provision of Cloud Computing Services to Foreign Parties

Key events

19-21 February

6-11 March

30 September-8 October

Key global rankings

1^st

Globally for expat satisfaction
2017 & 2018 (InterNations)

1^st

Conway Best to Invest MENA
Award

1^st

in MENA Human Capital Index
(The World Bank)

1^st

in MENA ICT Readiness
Index (ITU)

2^nd

in Global Islamic Finance Development
Index (Thompson Reuters)

2^nd

in Global Connectedness
Index (DHL)

Section 03

About team Bahrain

Bahrain’s government comes together to solve problems and create a coordinated, supportive environment where business can thrive, well delivering record investment for the Kingdom. As you will discover, Team Bahrain means understanding that people come first.

It’s a total philosophy comprising three key areas:

Collaboration
Agility
Responsive

We bring together the right experts, influencers and decision-makers in a coordinated approach across the public and private spheres.

Collaboration

We bring together the right experts, influencers and decision-makers in a coordinated approach across the public and private spheres.

Agility

We give investors a competitive edge by cutting red tape, connecting clients directly to key decision-makers and creating a future focused business environment.

Responsive

We’re receptive to the needs of investors, understand where the challenges lie and are proactive in removing obstacles and creating initiatives that will make our Kingdom even more business friendly.

Section 04

2018 Sector Focus

Financial Services

In 2018, Bahrain consolidated its position as the GCC’s most experienced financial services hub and its most progressive. The Kingdom is dedicated to invention and is backed by our unique Team Bahrain approach. This helps ensure the ideal conditions for business success and is proven in Bahrain’s thriving FinTech ecosystem – a community in which companies can genuinely innovate.

Shared success

new & expanding
companies

317

new jobs

$64.4m

new investment

contribution to DI

Bahrain scored highly in key 2018 rankings

Awarded by digital group finance
platform FinTech Galaxy

for six consecutive years: Islamic
Finance Development Report

in Islamic Finance regulation
(Islamic Finance Development Report)

'Businesses that benefitted from Team Bahrain in 2018 included: Bank of Jordan, Bridge, Pikcio and Muniy.

2019 Investment opportunities include: Open Banking Crowdfunding Payments

Tourism, real estate, education, healthcare (TREH)

Bahrain is building capacity to support its growing tourism industry, as well as three further important sectors. Healthcare is a new, high-potential area for investors with significant opportunities in the tech space. Education is also emerging as a key focus that underpins success through skills generation and improvement. Real estate is mature, but continues to develop and strengthen.

Shared success

new & expanding
companies

1,789

new jobs

$526.3m

new investment

63%

contribution to DI

Bahrain scored highly in key 2018 rankings

Travel & tourism competitiveness
(World Economic Forum)

Inbound tourist visits increase YoY
(BEQ, Sep 2018)

real estate & business services
increase 1st half 2018 (BEQ, Sep 2018)

'Businesses that benefitted from Team Bahrain in 2018 included: GOLDEN GATE, ADVENTURE CUBE, BRITISH SCHOOL OF BAHRAIN and JUFFAIR SQUARE.

There are a range of 2019 Investment opportunities across Tourism Real Estate Education Healthcare

Manufacturing, transport, logistics (MTL)

Bahrain’s strategic location, infrastructure and trade agreements give cost-effective access to the GCC and global markets, while our Team Bahrain approach really counts in ensuring supply chain efficiency. For companies in MTL, it’s why we offer the region’s best processing of trade goods, with among the shortest clearance and transit times between seaport, airport and logistics processing zones.

Shared success

new & expanding
companies

2,222

new jobs

$200.3m

new investment

24%

contribution to DI

Bahrain’s sub-sectors made a strong impression in 2018:

DHL Global
connectedness Index 2016

for ease of doing business
(World Bank 2018 Doing Business report)

WEF Global Enabling
Trade Index

'Businesses that benefitted from Team Bahrain in 2018 included: JAS FORWARDING BAHRAIN, INTEGRATED SERVICE SOLUTIONS (ISS), KUEHNE + NAGEL and B&B LOGISTICS.

2019 Investment opportunities include: industrial services, supply chains including renewable energy & waste management, regional distribution pharmaceuticals and FMCG.

ICT

Through early market reform and early deregulation, Bahrain has an advanced, liberal ICT infrastructure. Our continued focus on the development and performance of our ICT business environment is clearly recognised. In addition to the rankings below, Bahrain is 6th globally for the future orientation of our government in adapting to going digital (WEF 2018).

Shared success

new & expanding
companies

444

new jobs

$39m

new investment

contribution to DI

Bahrain scored highly in key 2018 rankings

ICT Development Index
(ITU)

e-Government Development Index
(UN)

internet use: 98% of population
(WEF 2018)

'Businesses that benefited from Team Bahrain in 2018 include: THALES, ADSERTOR, DUAL NETWORKS and HBS SOLUTIONS.

2019 Investment opportunities include: Cloud & data centres Cybersecurity Gaming E-commerce IT services

Start-ups

Bahrain values start-ups in driving economic diversification and creating skilled jobs. We are soon to be home to the first AWS data centre Region in the Middle East that will transform technology-based innovation. Our government supports a flourishing start-up ecosystem that benefits from a ‘Cloud First’ commitment, strong digital connectivity and the region’s lowest operating costs.

Shared success

new & expanding
companies

219

new jobs

$15.3m

new investment

contribution to DI

Bahrain’s sub-sectors made a strong impression in 2018:

in the growing StartUp Bahrain
ecosystem

accelerators, incubators and
co-working spaces

internet use: 98% of population
(WEF 2018)

'Businesses that benefited from Team Bahrain in 2018 include: FLAT6LABS, NEST, FARAHII and YALLABETTY.

2019 Investment opportunities: IoT (Internet of Things) Cloud-based solutions E-commerce platforms Tourism & booking apps.

Section 05

Our focus for 2019

Industry 4.0
Digitalisation

Industry 4.0 is fast bringing together traditional manufacturing and industrial practices with digital technology including large-scale machine-to-machine communication, IoT (Internet of Things), cloud technology, human-machine interfaces, AI and even virtual and augmented reality.

Bahrain is hosting the International Conference on Fourth Revolution in February 2019 to explore GCC countries’ challenges in moving to i4.0 and bring together leaders in the field to discuss trends and opportunities in the region.

Industry 4.0

Digitalisation

We’re using digitalisation to take the country’s financial services sector digital, highlighting our strength as a smart hub. It’s not just through encouraging technology, we are ensuring that business is open to innovation, keeping regulation current to promote disruption; and allow the local workforce to think digital first.

Our ambitions follow markets like China, where services like WeChat and Alipay handle all payment. We’re moving beyond traditional banks, where both the ‘banked’ and ‘unbanked’ will benefit from the ingenuity of digital banks, start-ups and disruptors.

Major trends - global and regional

$183bn

global cybersecurity market
by 2020
(Morgan Stanley)

86%
of manufacturers

expect cost reductions & revenue
gains in next years
(Forbes quoting PWC global survey)

$10.3bn

GCC automation market
by 2023
(Messe Frankfurt)

$3.7tr

global IoT market by 2020
(Gartner)

$95bn

annual contribution to GDP by 2025
unified Middle East digital market
(Gartner)

$17.3bn

regional cost saving through i4.0
(PWC)

]

Section 06

Contact Us

We’re open Sunday to Thursday, 8am to 4pm (GMT+3)

We have representatives around the globe to answer questions about investment. They’re available in China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and the United States of America.

To learn more about the Kingdom of Bahrain, visitwww.bahrainedb.com

Bahrain Economic Development Board 3rd Floor, Arcapita, P.O. Box 11299, Bahrain Bay, Kingdom of Bahrain

Bahrain 2018 AR

At a Glance

Breaking records

Sector contribution to Direct Investment (DI)

Highlights

Key new initiatives

Key events

Key global rankings

About team Bahrain

2018 Sector Focus

Our focus for 2019

Major trends - global and regional

Contact Us

Email

Website

Phone

At a Glance

Breaking records

Sector contribution to Direct Investment (DI)

Highlights

Key new initiatives

Key events

Key global rankings

About team Bahrain

2018 Sector Focus

Our focus for 2019

Major trends - global and regional

Contact Us

Email

Website

Phone

Social