The latest batch of the golden license included projects in various sectors, namely technology, real estate, and green industry, which contributes to supporting economic diversification and growth.
The Kingdom of Bahrain announced the granting of the golden license to four new projects, the total volume of investments in the Kingdom amounting to 4.4 billion US dollars.
These four new projects, which are expected to provide more than 1,100 job opportunities, will contribute to the growth and diversification of the national economy thanks to their impact in multiple sectors including technology, real estate, and green industry. This announcement came during the Gulf Gateway Forum 2025, which will be held on November 2 and 3, 2025 at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay. This forum brought together more than 200 guests, including global investors, business leaders, government officials, and entrepreneurs, with the aim of exploring investment opportunities and valuable partnerships in the Gulf.
The projects that received the new golden licenses announced at the Gulf Gate Forum 2025 included:
· The partnership between “Oracle”, as a technology provider, and “Pune” Group in the Kingdom of Bahrain to launch a sovereign cloud data center to host customers who use “Oracle” applications.
· The real estate partnership between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, represented by “Building Bahrain”, which is supported by “Eagle Hills”, will contribute to shaping the future of urbanization in Bahrain through strategic projects that support Bahrain’s broader ambitions towards achieving sustainable progress and modernization.
· Expanding the production line of Arla Foods, a multinational dairy company based in Bahrain. This project will contribute to strengthening Arla’s position as the second largest dairy company in the region, and play a pivotal role in Bahrain’s food security and increasing its export ambitions. Through this project, Arla will export its products to new markets, including the European Union, Africa, China, Japan, and Indonesia.
· Foulath Holding Company, an industrial holding company with significant investments in the steel sector and the parent company of Bahrain Steel and Salub, which will expand its business in an existing facility with the aim of developing a solar energy project by building a specialized structure.
In a statement by Her Excellency Mrs. Nour bint Ali Al Khalif, Minister of Sustainable Development and CEO of the Economic Development Board on this occasion, she said: “The Kingdom of Bahrain has proven its position as a preferred investment destination for international companies where business ambitions meet opportunities, thanks to its government and its qualified cadres. The golden licenses granted to these four pivotal projects add diversity to the projects that have been granted since the initiative was first launched in April 2023, bringing the total value of investments to more than 6 billion US dollars for the cumulative portfolio. The Golden License is not just an initiative, but rather reflects Team Bahrain’s approach and our firm commitment in the Kingdom to encouraging growth, accelerating success, and partnering with various business sectors to build a prosperous economic future.”
The “Team Bahrain” approach embodies cooperation between the public and private sectors to create an innovative environment that enables companies to succeed by investing in developing a strong, digital-ready economy, and achieving continued leadership in regulatory policies and legislative frameworks. The Economic Development Board plays a vital role in this framework, as it links the government and investors.
The Kingdom of Bahrain has continued to give priority to digital transformation and economic growth, and to invest in qualifying its workforce, which is proficient in Arabic and English, and is highly qualified to keep pace with the requirements of the future, as the Kingdom of Bahrain has achieved great progress in its path towards economic diversification, as the non-oil gross domestic product contributed 85.3% of the gross domestic product from the year 2024.
The financial services sector is the largest contributor to the GDP, with its contribution reaching 17.2%, followed by the industry sector (15.1%) in 2024. Recent achievements include an increase in the cumulative balance of direct investment to reach 45.5 billion US dollars, which led to an increase in the ratio of the cumulative balance of direct investment to GDP to reach 96.5% in 2024, which is much higher than the global average of about 45.8%, which reflects investor confidence. International players in the Kingdom’s economy.
