Bahrain's poor and overcrowded Shiite majority learned what a raw deal they were getting in 2006, when they saw satellite images of lavish palaces and empty land owned by the Sunni monarchy. The images, which circulated in PDF form after the government blocked Google Earth, spurred growing unrest about the lack of affordable housing. In 2011 this unrest broke out into large nonviolent protests as part of the Arab Spring. Following a brutal and largely ignored crackdown on protests, Read more [...]

Reuters/London Hundreds of Bahraini Shia Muslims angered by a raid last week on a top cleric’s home clashed with police yesterday, while thousands more gathered in the cleric’s village for a peaceful sit-in against the government. The raid by security forces on the home of Ayatollah Sheikh Issa Qassim on May 17 infuriated the opposition and drew condemnation from Iran. Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s Fifth Fleet, has been in turmoil since mass pro-democracy protests erupted in 2011. The mass Read more [...]

DUBAI Bahrain’s Al Salam Bank and BMI Bank have announced plans to merge, a tie-up which would create the kingdom’s third-largest bank by assets, the lenders said in a statement. A committee has been created by the two banks to administer the merger process, which would create a bank with assets of around 1.7 billion dinars ($4.5 billion). The merger will involve a share swap, with the final ratio yet to be decided. The proposed merger, which has the assent of both boards but still needs shareholder Read more [...]

With the industrial sector looking to post positive growth in 2013 on the back of increased regional demand, steps are being taken to boost the supply of space for manufacturing activities. According to data from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, industrial production accounts for 17% of GDP. This puts it on a par with the kingdom’s financial sector, long seen as the driving force of the economy, although in a trough in recent years due to the global downturn and local unrest. Industry Read more [...]