DUBAI Dec 16 (Reuters) – Bahrain’s economy grew 4.6 percent
from a year earlier in the third quarter when adjusted for
inflation, the head of the country’s statistics office was
quoted as saying by state news agency BNA, a slowdown from 5.3
percent in the previous quarter.

Mohammed al-Amer, president of the Central Informatics
Organisation, also said the oil sector contributed about 45
percent of output growth, thanks to higher crude prices on
global markets as well as higher production.

Amer did not give other details of the performance of
individual sectors in Bahrain’s $30 billion economy, whose
non-oil portion is driven by the financial industry, which
accounts for roughly 16 percent of gross domestic product.

Political unrest since 2011, in which the government has
clashed with mainly Shi’ite-led pro-democracy protesters, has
hurt Bahrain’s status as a regional financial hub while
increasing pressure on the state budget.

Analysts polled by Reuters in September forecast Bahrain’s
GDP growth would accelerate to 4.0 percent in 2013 from 3.4
percent in 2012, before slowing again to 3.5 percent next year.