Manama: After the successful launch of the latest edition of The Report: Bahrain 2018 in March, The first edition of Oxford Business Group’s (OBG) Business Barometer: Bahrain CEO Survey indicates that executives remain positive about the kingdom’s investment climate, despite acknowledging both the modest forecasts made for broader growth and the risks associated with regional political uncertainty.

As part of its year-long survey, the global research and consultancy firm asked C-suite executives from across the country’s industries a wide-ranging series of questions on a face-to-face basis aimed at gauging business sentiment. The results of the survey are now available to view in full on OBG’s Editors’ Blog at: https://oxfordbusinessgroup.com/blog/oliver-cornock/obg-business-barometer/obg-business-barometer-bahrain-ceo-survey    

Almost two-thirds (63%) of respondents said they were likely or very likely to make a significant capital investment in the coming 12 months, according to OBG’s findings. Confidence in the country’s business practices was seen as a key factor in their response, with 87% describing transparency levels in Bahrain as high or very high.

Asked how they expected the kingdom’s economy to perform in the coming year, three-quarters of business leaders interviewed gave a GDP growth estimate of between 1% and 3%, close to the forecasts made by the EDB (2.7%) and IMF (1.6%), but below the latter’s projections for 2017 of 4.1%.

OBG also asked executives which external factors they felt could weigh most heavily on economic expansion, with the majority (70%) of respondents putting regional political volatility at the top of the list, well ahead of hikes in US Federal Reserve interest rates, Chinese demand growth and trade protectionism.

Commenting on the results in his blog, Oliver Cornock, OBG’s editor-in-chief and managing editor for the Middle East, said that while Bahrain had begun diversifying its economy ahead of its regional peers, rising competition in sectors ripe for growth had heightened the need for the country to highlight its strengths, such as its transparency levels, to maintain investor interest.

“In many senses, and in particular in the financial services sectors, this has never been more critical,” he noted.

He added that confidence had been boosted by innovative steps undertaken by the authorities to increase the role played by the private sector in the economy and support investors seeking new opportunities. “While Bahraini CEOs are cognisant of exogenous risk factors, sentiment in the country remains largely positive,” he said. “It will be intriguing to see if this is the case when we look at the next set of results from our OBG Business Barometer in 12 months’ time.”

Cornock’s in-depth evaluation of the survey’s results can be found on OBG’s Editor’s Blog, titled ‘Next Frontier’. All four of OBG’s regional managing editors use the platform to share their expert analysis of the latest developments taking place across the sectors of the 30+ high-growth markets covered by the company’s research.  

The OBG Business Barometer: CEO Surveys features in the Group’s extensive portfolio of research tools. The full results of the survey on Bahrain will be made available online and in print. Similar studies are also under way in the other markets in which OBG operates.

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About OBG Business Barometer

OBG Business Barometer: Bahrain CEO Survey Copyright (c). All rights reserved.

This survey has been designed to assess business sentiment amongst business leaders (Chief Executives or equivalent) and their outlook for the next 12 months. Unlike many surveys, the OBG Business Barometer is conducted by OBG staff on a face-to-face basis, across the full range of industries, company sizes and functional specialties. The results are anonymous.

OBG Business Barometer is based on data from companies with revenue within the following parameters, among others:

  • 82% of companies surveyed were private

  • 29% of companies surveyed were international

  • 44% of companies surveyed were local

  • 27% of companies surveyed were national

The data generated allows for analysis of sentiment within an individual country, as well as regionally and globally. Additionally, comparisons can be drawn between both individual countries and regionally. The results are presented statistically within infographics and discussed in articles written by OBG managing editors.

OBG provides this survey, infographics and accompanying analysis from sources believed to be reliable, for information purposes only.

OBG accepts no responsibility for any loss, financial or otherwise, sustained by any person or organisation using it. For further information on the content of the survey, please contact Oliver Cornock, Middle East managing editor at: ocornock@oxfordbusinessgroup.com.

 Should you wish to reproduce any element of this survey, infographics and accompanying analysis please contact mdeblois@oxfordbusinessgroup.com .

Any unauthorised reproduction will be considered an infringement of the Copyright. For further details about OBG and how to subscribe to our widely acclaimed business intelligence publication please visit www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com . 

About Oxford Business Group

Oxford Business Group is a global research and consultancy company with a presence in over 30 countries, from the Middle East, Africa and Asia to The Americas. A distinctive and respected provider of on-the-ground intelligence on many of the world’s fastest growing markets, OBG has offices in London, Berlin, Dubai and Istanbul, and a network of local bureaus across the countries in which we operate. 

Through its range of products, OBG offers comprehensive and accurate analysis of macroeconomic and sectoral developments, including banking, capital markets, tourism, energy, transport, industry and ICT. OBG provides business intelligence to its subscribers through multiple platforms: Economic News and Views, OBG Business Barometer - CEO Survey, Roundtables and conferences, Global Platform - exclusive video interviews, The Report publications and its Consultancy division. 

Click here to subscribe to Oxford Business Group’s latest content: http://www.oxfordbusinessgroup.com/country-reports 

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E-mail: mdeblois@oxfordbusinessgroup.com 

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