#Bahrain

International Fund for Agricultural Development

Investcorp’s investments into European real estate portfolio climbs to EUR1.1bn

The investments were spread across 80 properties in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Belgium

Tier Mobility launches e-bikes in the Middle East

Bahrain is the first country in the Middle East to receive Tier’s e-bikes

Bahrain’s Central Bank issues operating licence to Binance

Bahrain is the first GCC country to issue regulatory approvals to the blockchain and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed meets King of Bahrain in Abu Dhabi

The two leaders reportedly discussed ways to expand cooperation across all fronts

Bahrain to hire advisers for privatisation of state oil firms

Bahrain produces about 200,000 barrels a day

Special report: How the GCC is poised to develop as a major destination market for global tourism

The region is building its infrastructure and programmes to transform into a major tourist destination over the next few decades

Bahrain

Bahrain begins construction on United States Trade Zone

The USTZ will be initially spread across approximately 1.11 million sq m and built at a cost of around BHD75m

Bahrain scraps PCR testing, quarantine requirements on arrival

The directive will come into effect on Sunday, February 20, 2022

Bharain investcorp

Bahrain’s Investcorp acquires 64 industrial properties worth $640m in the US

The latest acquisitions grows Investcorp’s US industrial real estate holdings to approximately $3.5bn across approximately 32 million sq ft

Oracle named as Red Bull Racing F1 title sponsor

The Formula 1 2022 season begins March 18-20 with the Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix in Bahrain

Bahrain

Bahrain introduces permanent residency golden visas

Open to both residents and non-residents, as well as their families, the visa can be renewed indefinitely

Light-1 CubeSat

UAE-Bahrain nanosatellite Light-1 launched from International Space Station

The Light-1 CubeSat is the region’s first scientific mission to monitor and study Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes from thunderstorms and lightning

UK inflation at new 40-year high worsens living standards crisis

UK, GCC may sign post-Brexit trade deal this year, Bahrain says

Negotiations between the GCC and the UK have begun

Europe’s e-scooter service Tier Mobility expands into Bahrain

Tier has extended its fleet in Bahrain, expanding to Diyar Al Muharraq

Bahrain’s Al Waha Fund of Funds invests in $50m fintech fund

The VentureSouq MENA FinTech Fund will support fintech companies in Bahrain and across the region

Kitopi launches its first kitchens in Bahrain and Qatar

The company, which turns four this month, will set up operations in Malaysia and Singapore next

Binance gets in-principle approval in Bahrain to provide crypto services

Bahrain has been one of the Middle East’s early adopters in the digital assets space

Covid-19: Bahrain to move to ‘yellow alert level’ over omicron concerns

The new alert level will be in place from Sunday, December 19, 2021, until Monday, January 31, 2022

Gulf leaders stress need for joint security, approve establishment of GCC Railways Authority

The GCC Supreme Council also urged for the need to accelerate the establishment of a joint customs union and the GCC Common Market

Bahrain parliament approves decision to double VAT to 10%

The bill has now been sent to the Shura Council, the upper house of the National Assembly

Bahrain’s financial group acquires US medical offices for $200m

Spread across seven states, the medical offices portfolio consists of 11 assets and 400,000 square feet of space

Bahrain says ‘Iran-linked terrorists’ arrested for plotting attack

Weapons and explosives from Iran were seized from the accused who are “associated with terrorist groups”, officials said

Emirates Gulf Air

Dubai’s Emirates and Bahrain’s Gulf Air unveil codeshare plans

The MoU was signed on the first day of the Dubai Airshow 2021

BMW and Audi may have McLaren in their sights

BMW will hold talks with Bahrain’s Mumtalakat, which controls McLaren, at the beginning of next month

Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange, Bahrain Bourse sign strategic partnership agreement

The two entities will introduce products and services including exchange-traded funds, smart order routing and cross-border direct trading

Investcorp

Bahrain’s Investcorp builds EUR1bn European real estate portfolio

It recently acquired ten UK industrial assets for a combined purchase price of GBP56.7m

Bahrain aims to attract 14.1 million tourists by 2026 as part of new strategy

The strategy seeks to increase the contribution of tourism to Bahrain’s GDP to reach 11.4 per cent in 2026

New Arcapita venture to invest $2bn in US warehouses

The goal is to grow the portfolio to as much as $2bn in gross asset value across the top 25 US industrial markets

Bahrain plans $30bn investment as it balances its budget

The kingdom aims to create more than 20,000 jobs annually for citizens by 2024

Covid-19: Bahrain updates alert system, temperature checks to be stopped for unvaccinated

Obligatory registration of information will no longer be required for non-vaccinated individuals when entering a facility, with waiting areas to be re-opened