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  • Cabinet shakeup raises questions as Bahrain heads for polls

    The decree outlines the replacement of 13 ministers and a deputy prime minister, some of whom held cabinet positions since the country’s independence in 1971. The government is now among the least reliant on members of the royal family, includes an unprecedented four women ministers and grants Shiites nine ministerial portfolios.

  • Bahrain Reduced to Province of Iran on President Raisi’s Instagram

    On May 14, 1970, the Iranian Parliament recognized the independence of Bahrain pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution 278. In doing so, Iran renounced its historical claims to the island country, and the Islamic Republic, too, officially recognizes Bahrain as a sovereign state. But periodically, state-censored Iranian media outlets revive the question of Bahrain’s independence and sovereignty:

  • Bahrain Cabinet Reshuffle: Crown Prince and His Team Take Center Stage

    Bahraini King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa ordered a major Cabinet reshuffle June 13, changing 17 out of 22 ministers. A government spokesperson termed it “the largest in the country’s history” introducing a “large proportion of young ministers, including females.” Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifa, who serves as prime minister, said it “will bring new ideas and renewed drive to continue advancing the public sector.”

  • Bahrain in talks for cloud computing, FDI deals

    Bahrain is in advanced talks for investment deals with cloud computing companies from the United States, China and the United Arab Emirates, an Economic Development Board executive said, as the country seeks to diversify its oil-based economy. Cloud computing and foreign direct investment are key planks of Bahrain's economic recovery programme that aims to grow non-oil gross domestic product by 5% this year and includes $30 billion in strategic projects.

  • Bahrain Wealth Fund Mumtalakat Weighs Alba Listing in Saudi Arabia

    Bahrain’s sovereign wealth fund is considering a listing of Aluminium Bahrain BSC in Saudi Arabia more than a decade after its initial listing in Bahrain, people familiar with the matter said. Mumtalakat, as the Bahrain fund is known, is working with Moelis & Co. as financial adviser on the potential listing, two of the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. Alba, as the Bahraini metal producer is known, has kicked off the process to seek regulatory approvals in Saudi Arabia, the people said.

  • Bahrain and Saudi Arabia get UK electronic visa waiver status

    Saudi Arabia and Bahrain will join other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states with electronic visa waiver status, the Home Office has announced. The move will maintain security and effective border processes ensuring necessary security checks are carried out ahead of travel whilst enabling smooth transit through the UK border for visitors.

  • Bahrain’s neoliberal industrial policy gets a revamp

    However, in the wake of the economic devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, Bahrain’s government has decided to modify its approach to seek a higher rate of industrial growth. Despite granting the private sector a lot of space and support during the period 2000-2020, businesses restricted themselves to cautious and incremental investments without any of the path-breaking advancements that Vision 2030 was hoping would emerge organically.

  • Citi to Sell Its Consumer Unit in Bahrain to Ahli United Bank

    The transaction includes Citigroup’s retail-banking, credit-card and unsecured-lending businesses, and excludes the firm’s institutional businesses, according to a statement. New York-based Citigroup said the deal is expected to close by the second half of the year, noting that Ahli United Bank was selected as part of a competitive auction process. “We are confident AUB will provide excellent opportunities for our customers and employees,” Michel Sawaya, Citigroup’s country officer for Bahrain, said in the statement. “For Citi, this transaction will enable additional investment in our strategic focus areas, including our institutional businesses in Bahrain.”

  • Bahrain signs agreements on industry, logistics, space sciences with U.S. -tweet

    The agreements included partnerships and memoranda of understanding between several government bodies and companies in both countries. The agreements included a partnership between the Gulf kingdom's Information & eGovernment Authority and Microsoft, and an agreement with Cisco concerning the government data network infrastructure.

  • Solar One, Bahrain’s first solar panel manufacturer, is blazing a trail for renewables

    Bahrain, a tiny island state of less than 2 million people off the Arabian Peninsula, has long punched above its weight economically, due to its rich oil and gas reserves. Oil provides about 70% of government revenue -- but Bahrain's reserves are expected to run out within the next decade. This -- and the global push to transition away from dirty fuels -- means that the kingdom is looking for ways to diversify its economy and energy mix.