The Bahrain Stock Exchange (BSE) has decided to remove a ban on company insiders trading in their own shares on the stock exchange during a company’s close period. The move means that key members of a company, including directors, senior management and such other persons as decided by the company board, can trade. At present, [...]
Bahraini employment rose over the last decade by 39 per cent and Bahraini wages increased 54pc according to an economic review of the kingdom carried out by the Economic Development Board (EDB). The EDB’s first Annual Economic Review details Bahrain’s economic performance over the past decade and forecasts continued, sustainable growth over the coming 10 [...]
Bahrain needs to reinvent itself as a financial centre if it wants to return to growth and remain a destination for the region’s oil wealth after the financial crisis clipped the wings of its investment houses. Analysts say the only opportunity for the tiny island kingdom off Saudi Arabia lies in funding the large infrastructure [...]
The Middle East’s biggest corporate scandal has raged for more than a year now and still shows little sign of abating, nor of resolution. If anything, the confrontation between the al Gosaibi dynasty and their estranged family member Maan al Sanea is becoming more intractable, as positions on each side become more entrenched. What began [...]
Bahrain is often portrayed as an oasis of stability and moderation in a volatile area. Long established as a regional financial centre. Promoters have successfully branded the island as a place for business placing it on the international conference circuit and exhibition centre long before others in the region. In the last decade, Bahrain has [...]
New arbitration legislation enacted by the Kingdom of Bahrain on July 2, 2009 makes it the first country in the world to create the equivalent of a free trade zone for arbitration. That legislation, Legislative Decree No. 30 (The Decree), gives parties to an agreement calling for international arbitration the option of holding the arbitration in Bahrain without concern that the courts of Bahrain might interfere with, or set aside, the resulting award, as long as the parties seek to enforce the award only in another country. The result is the creation of what this article will call the Bahrain “Free Arbitration Zone.”
Bahrain Financial Exchange (BFX), the first multi-asset exchange in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, launched its official handbook leading up to launch of the exchange later this year. The handbook, which aims to raise the market’s knowledge and awareness of the financial exchange business, was launched at a media event held today [...]
Bahrain-based Arcapita Bank has closed a $200 million finance facility with Standard Chartered Bank. The facility will be used by Arcapita for balance sheet strengthening and corporate purposes and the bank is now confident it will return to profitability next year. “Standard Chartered has built a close relationship with Arcapita over several years and we [...]
Bahrain appears to have finished 2009 in better shape than many could have foreseen at the beginning of the year, and will be looking to 2010 with a confidence garnered from the solid performance of the country’s economy under pressure. There had been fears that Bahrain would be hard hit by the global crisis, especially [...]
More than 30,000 people are expected to demonstrate on the streets of Manama tomorrow amid fears of a potential increase in petrol prices. Twelve political societies, under the chairmanship of Al Wefaq block MP Jawad Fairooz, have joined forces with trade unions to organise the protest. MPs were outraged last month when ministers confirmed that [...]
