As an important financial center in the Gulf region, Bahrain attracts a great deal of international business activity. So well-regarded is the Bahraini business environment that the Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal ranked Bahrain's economy the "most free" in all the Middle East; sixteenth most-free in the world. As a result, the people of Bahrain enjoy a high per capita income and an attractive standard of living.
Economically speaking, Bahrain is one of the most forward-looking Gulf countries. Our long-term goals include continual economic diversification to reduce our dependence on oil revenues. In fact, Bahrain has reduced its dependency on oil revenue from 80% in 1970 to just 20% today. The Kingdom has achieved this remarkable result by consolidating economic activities, encouraging private sector oil development and providing incentives to diversification. Often, it is American technology and expertise that have enabled us to succeed in this diversification.
The government of Bahrain welcomes foreign investment and has created lucrative incentives to such business. Bahrain’s attractive features include: the diverse economy, a well-educated workforce, sophisticated telecommunications, a strategic location and the advantage of being situated in time zone which allows equal access to both European and Asian markets.
Bahrain has exceptionally favorable customs barriers, provides attractive labor subsidies, gives rebates on electricity charges, and institutes tariff protections for certain industries designed at making investments easier and more profitable.
“After a successful trade mission to Bahrain this past May, Overland Capital Group has already obtained significant new commitments from Bahraini institutions for investment in its investment products.”
James M. Godec
Chairman of the Board of the USBBC and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Overland Capital Group, Inc.
Overland Capital
Foreigners are permitted to buy property, to fully own and operate their own businesses, to enjoy the benefits of deregulation and a minimal government bureaucracy that allows them to concentrate on business, not laws and red tape. Bahrain’s foreign exchange is absolutely free, allowing investors to repatriate capital, profits and dividends. And, in one of our most attractive incentives, foreigners pay no personal or corporate income taxes in Bahrain.
The sum total of these benefits is a country that makes doing business as attractive and profitable as possible.
