Finance and National Economy Minister Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa today highlighted the kingdom's rapid economic transformation and its attractiveness as a premier investment destination.
"The GCC is not only open for business, but we are actively reshaping it with exceptional investment and trade opportunities," he stated during his opening remarks at the Gateway Gulf Investment Forum 2024.
"Since our last forum six years ago, Bahrain's economy, renowned as one of the world's freest, has successfully attracted over $15.6 billion in foreign direct investment, with a record-breaking $6.8 billion in 2023 alone."
He emphasised that this surge in FDI reflects global confidence in Bahrain's economic potential. Key players like Amazon Web Services, which established the region's first cloud data centre in Bahrain in 2019, are spearheading the kingdom's digital transformation, supported by government initiatives such as the "cloud-first" policy and the unique data sovereignty law.
Shaikh Salman underscored Bahrain's commitment to embracing digital-first policies and next-generation technologies, positioning the nation not just for the future, but as a leader in shaping it.
"Bahrain's economy remains the most diversified in the region, with non-oil sectors contributing over 85 per cent of non-oil GDP," he added. "Our growth and diversification mirror a broader regional transformation."
More details in tomorrow's GDN
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