Under the patronage of His Highness the Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al- Khalifa
Manama, Bahrain - "Emerging Bahrain 2005", an essential guide to the Kingdom for businesses, institutions and investors, was officially launched yesterday, 19th September, by Bahrain's Economic Development Board (EDB). In a joint gala event with the Oxford Business Group, the launch was held under the patronage of His Highness the Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al- Khalifa at the Ritz Carlton Hotel.
HE Shaikh Mohammed bin Issa Al-Khalifa, Chief Executive of the Economic Development Board thanked the Prime Minister for his patronage of the event. He said: "For over thirty years Bahrain has benefited from the inspirational leadership of His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa, the Prime Minister. During this period Bahrain has witnessed significant development and progress across various fields such as health, education, housing and other essential services provided for every citizen. Bahrain has developed into a stable, safe and respected nation on the world map."
"His Highness the Prime Minister has presided over a transformation of the economy which has won international respect during his premiership, working tirelessly to ensure that substantial investments have been made into the economy during which time the Kingdom has witnessed sharp declines in infant and maternal mortality, currently experiences longer life expectancy and has achieved dramatic increases in literacy as well as Foreign Direct Investment inflows."
Shaikh Mohamed added: "We are delighted that the Oxford Business Group has begun coverage of Bahrain this year. The Economic Development Board is committed to the promotion of Bahrain as a Foreign Investment destination and we believe that high quality research, such as the Emerging Bahrain report, will assist greatly in increasing awareness of the Kingdom's economic potential throughout the international investment community."
Shaikh Ahmed bin Mohamed Al-Khalifa, Minister of Finance, speaking during the event stated: "As an important regional financial centre with a dynamic economy encouraging private sector-led growth, Bahrain is delighted to form part of this series of reports. One of the objectives of the Economic Development Board is to raise awareness of the opportunities here in Bahrain. We have skills to be proud of and have built a highly successful financial service industry."
"This publication helps set out the opportunities and the reasons for confidence in Bahrain," he continued.
Published by the Oxford Business Group in association with the Economic Development Board (EDB) this is the first edition of the Bahrain guide, which now joins the Oxford Business Group's flagship Emerging Markets series. The series specializes in research on emerging markets around the world. With a circulation of 67,000, Emerging Bahrain 2005 is currently available to local and international subscribers, provides a comprehensive and accurate political and economic analysis of the Kingdom and includes overviews of Bahrain's political and economic environments.
The guide reviews developments and trends in all the Kingdom's major economic sectors, including banking, capital markets, insurance, telecommunications and IT, energy, real estate, construction, tourism, transportation, health, education and industry. These sector overviews are followed by an accountancy and legal section reviewing the regulatory framework that governs foreign investment in Bahrain.
Michael Benson-Colpi, Chairman of the Oxford Business Group, highlighted the importance of adding Bahrain to the series: "For the last few years we have been receiving an increased number of enquiries on Bahrain and its economy, so sending a team here to cover developments was a natural next step. There is a great deal of foreign investment interest focused on Bahrain at the current time, particularly surrounding the new Free Trade Agreement with the United States."
Bahrain is the 12th country in the MENA region and the 5th country in the GCC to be covered in the Emerging Markets series.
Bahrain's main achievements in 2004 are highlighted in the publication, including the signing of the Free Trade Agreement with the US, the liberalization of the telecommunications sector and the hosting of Formula One. In addition, numerous ongoing development projects across sectors are also covered, showing both public and private sector initiatives.
To produce this annual guide, a team of six Oxford Business Group international analysts spent six months in Bahrain researching and writing on all aspects of the Bahraini economy. The analysts conducted some 150 interviews with leading political and economic figures in Bahrain as part of their extensive "in-country" research and analysis. Throughout the period, the team worked closely with the EDB, which played an instrumental role assisting the team in data collection, economic research as well as fact checking.
The publication includes interviews with senior Government Officials, including His Highness the Prime Minister Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al- Khalifa, in addition to viewpoint articles from national and international business professionals, analysts, and academics. The entire Emerging Market series reaches a substantial proportion of business executives involved in the local market, including the business and political community. The publication's subscribers are executives, analysts, investors, and investment forums throughout North America, Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and the Gulf.
The launch of Emerging Bahrain 2005, took place at a gala event the Ritz Carlton Hotel hosted jointly by the EDB and Oxford Business Group.
-Ends-
For further information please contact:
Rima Al Kilani
Tel: 17 589 999
E-mail: rima@bahrainedb.com
Farah Matter
Tel:17 589 999
E-mail: farah@bahrainedb.com
Elizabeth Boissevain
E-mail: eboissevain@oxfordbusinessgroup.com
© Press Release 2005
