Bahrain has announced a major economic boost with the latest batch of four new Golden Licence projects, securing a total investment value of $4.4 billion.
The four large-scale, multi-sectoral projects – spanning technology, real estate and green manufacturing – are projected to generate more than 1,100 new employment opportunities, significantly contributing to national economic growth and diversification.
The announcement was made during the exclusive Gateway Gulf 2025 investment forum, which convened 200 distinguished global investors and policymakers.
The new awards increase the total investment value secured under the Golden Licence initiative, launched in April 2023, to more than $6bn.
The newly awarded golden licences are:
Sovereign Cloud Data Centre: A strategic partnership between technology giant Oracle and homegrown group Beyon to launch a sovereign cloud data centre to host clients using Oracle applications.
Real Estate Development: A Bahrain-UAE real estate partnership, Binaa Al Bahrain, powered by Eagle Hills, for major urban development projects supporting the kingdom’s modernisation ambitions.
Green Manufacturing: Foulath Holding, parent company of Bahrain Steel, for an expansion to develop a solar project using a specialised shed structure at an existing facility.
Food Security Expansion: A new product line expansion for the Bahrain-based facility of Arla Foods, the multinational dairy company. This milestone will position Arla as the second-largest dairy maker in the region, supporting food security and enabling exports to new markets including the EU, Africa, China, Japan, and Indonesia.
Sustainable Development Minister and Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) chief executive Noor Al Khulaif hailed the achievement.
“The island nation of Bahrain has proven its strength as a place where business ambition meets opportunity,” Ms Al Khulaif said.
“The Golden Licence is more than an initiative – it is a reflection of our ‘Team Bahrain’ approach and to our unwavering commitment to simplifying growth, accelerating success and partnering with companies to build a thriving economic future.”
The Team Bahrain approach, championed by the EDB, highlights the successful collaboration between the public and private sectors to create a robust, digitally ready economy.
Bahrain continues to see success in its diversification journey, with the non-oil sector contributing 85.3 per cent of the total GDP as of 2024. The financial services sector remains the highest GDP contributor at 17.2pc.
Recent achievements include a rise in FDI stock to $45.5bn, resulting in an FDI stock-to-GDP ratio of 96.5pc in 2024, well above the global average rate of 45.8pc, which stands as a testament to the robust trust international investors place in the island nation.
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