Executive Overview
The investment climate in Bahrain is typically good and it has remained fairly stable into the year that is last. Bahrain has an approach that is liberal international investment and earnestly seeks to attract international investors and organizations.
The Government of Bahrain (GOB) aims to promote a greater role for the private sector in economic growth in an economy largely dominated by state-owned enterprises. Federal federal federal Government efforts consider encouraging international investment that is directFDI) into the production, logistics, information and communications technology (ICT), economic solutions, and tourism sectors. Inbound FDI into the Kingdom jumped 138 per cent to accurate documentation USD 830 million in 2018, when compared with USD 733 million in 2017. Production and logistics comprised all the brand new assets in to the nation, as investors desired to make use of Bahrain’s near proximity to Saudi Arabia’s large and diverse market.
The GOB in 2018 launched Bahrain FinTech Bay, the largest FinTech hub in the Middle East & Africa; issued four new laws covering data protection, competition, bankruptcy, and health insurance; established the USD 100 million Al Waha venture capital fund for Bahraini investments; and a USD 100 million ‘Superfund’ to support the growth of start-ups to strengthen Bahrain’s position as a startup hub and to enhance the Kingdom’s investment ecosystem.
The U.S.-Bahrain Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) entered into force in 2001. The BIT provides advantages and protection to U.S. investors in Bahrain, such as for example most-favored country therapy and nationwide therapy, the ability in order to make economic transfers easily and straight away, worldwide legislation criteria for expropriation and payment instances, and usage of arbitration that is international.
Bahrain permits 100 % foreign-ownership of the latest entities that are industrial the establishment of representative workplaces or branches of international organizations without regional sponsors. In 2017, the GOB expanded the amount of sectors by which foreigners are allowed to maintain 100 % ownership stakes to add tourism services, sports production, mining and quarrying, property tasks, water circulation, water transportation operations, and crop cultivation and propagation.
The U.S.-Bahrain complimentary Trade Agreement (FTA) joined into force in 2006. Underneath the FTA, Bahrain dedicated to Intellectual that is world-class Property (IPR) security.
Inspite of the federal Government of Bahrain’s clear, rules-based federal federal government procurement system, U.S. businesses often report running at a recognized drawback compared to other companies whenever contending for many federal federal federal government procurements. Numerous ministries need organizations to pre-qualify just before putting in a bid on a tender, frequently making organizations with small or no previous expertise in Bahrain ineligible to bid on major tenders.
Since 2017, the Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) has operated a technology that is financialFinTech) regulatory “sandbox” that allows the screening and launching of non-conventional FinTech startups in Bahrain, including cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies. The CBB additionally issued laws make it possible for mainstream and Sharia-compliant financing-based crowdfunding organizations.
Dining Dining Table 1: Key Metrics and Rankings
Measure | Year | Index/Rank | internet site Address |
TI Corruption Perceptions Index | 2018 | 99 of 180://www.transparency.org/research/cpi/overview that is http | |
World Bank’s conducting business Report | 2018 | 62 of 190 | http://www.doingbusiness.org/en/rankings eastmeeteast |
international Innovation Index | 2018 | 72 of 126 | https://www.globalinnovationindex.org/analysis-indicator |
U.S. FDI in partner nation ($M USD, stock positions) | 2017 | $423 | http://www.bea.gov/international/factsheet/
https://www.selectusa.gov/country-fact-sheet/Bahrain |
World Bank GNI per capita | 2017 | $21,150 | http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GNP.PCAP.CD |
1. Openness To, and Restrictions Upon, Foreign Investment
Policies Towards Foreign Direct Investment
The us government of Bahrain (GOB) features a liberal way of international investment and actively seeks to attract international investors and companies. Increasing international investment that is directFDI) is among the government’s top priorities. The GOB allows 100 % international ownership of a company or branch workplace, with no need for a regional partner. The GOB will not tax corporate earnings, individual earnings, wide range, money gains, withholding, or death/inheritance. There are not any limitations on repatriation of money, earnings or dividends, irrespective of earnings created by organizations into the gas and oil sector, where earnings are taxable in the rate of 46 %. The Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB), faced with marketing FDI in Bahrain, puts specific emphasis on attracting FDI towards the production, logistics, information and communications technology (ICT), economic solutions and tourism and leisure sectors. As being a expression of this Kingdom’s openness to FDI, the EDB won the 2018 United Nations Investment marketing Award for the part in attracting large-scale opportunities.
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