The activities of the third edition of the Gulf Gateway Forum 2025, which was hosted by the Economic Development Board, concluded with the announcement of more than 60 investments, strategic partnerships and agreements worth more than $17 billion, over the two days of the high-level investment forum.
The forum was held at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay on November 2 and 3, with the participation of more than 200 ministers, decision-makers, investors, and private sector officials from inside and outside the region, under the slogan “Rethinking global investment and new commercial transformations,” where participants learned about the broad investment opportunities in the Kingdom and the Arab Gulf states, in light of the Kingdom’s continued efforts to support economic diversification, innovation, and strengthen the digital economy.
Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa opened the forum, which began its work with a welcome speech delivered by Sheikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, Minister of Finance and National Economy, in which he emphasized Bahrain’s role as a center for innovation and opportunity, and that it constitutes a bridge between the East and the West, indicating that the Kingdom is confidently entering the modern, smarter era.
During its two days, the forum witnessed intense dialogues between international speakers, leaders, officials, and representatives of local and international media, which addressed pivotal topics such as global trade tariffs, cross-border investment, digital transformation, and the transition to renewable energy.
On the sidelines of the forum, prominent strategic agreements and partnerships were signed that reflect the importance of the forum as a platform that contributes to highlighting the flow of investments to key priority sectors in Bahrain, which include financial services, information and communications technology, industry, logistics, and tourism.
It was also announced that the golden license was granted to four pioneering investment projects, the value of which exceeded 4.4 billion US dollars, and included:
• Pune and Oracle: A partnership between Oracle, a technology provider, and the Bahraini Pune Group, to launch a sovereign cloud data center to host customers using Oracle applications.
• Building Bahrain: A project that aims to shape the future of urban life in the Kingdom and its strategy towards sustainable urban progress.
• Arla Foods: announced the expansion of production lines at its facility in Bahrain, strengthening its position as the second largest dairy company in the region.
• Fouladh Holding: The industrial company that owns “Bahrain Steel” and “Solub” companies, announced the project to establish the largest rooftop solar energy station in one location in the world.
A number of companies that previously obtained golden licenses also announced the latest updates in their strategic projects, as the National Bank of Kuwait announced the start of work on establishing its first international headquarters in the Kingdom, and Bahrain Titanium Company announced the start of construction work to establish a factory for it.
Announcements during the forum included the following investments, strategic partnerships and agreements:
• Asia Air: Capital A signed a memorandum of intent with the Ministry of Transportation and Communications in the Kingdom of Bahrain to discuss the possibility of making Bahrain a regional hub for Air Asia’s operations in the Middle East region, which represents the beginning of a partnership aimed at building a major bridge linking the countries of the Association of ASEAN (ASEAN), the Arabian Gulf region, and the world.
• Al Salam Bank: celebrated the first anniversary of its arm, SB Capital, which was launched during the Gulf Gateway Forum 2024, announcing significant growth in assets under management and launching new investment products.
• Investcorp: announced investments worth US$1.2 billion during the first quarter of fiscal year 2026.
• SICO: announced the launch of a wide range of investment products, including a sukuk fund that invests in the Turkish market and a platform for trading in tangible gold, in addition to a local fund to finance small and medium enterprises.
• Alba (Aluminum Bahrain): It entered into a strategic partnership with Shandong Innovation Group (SIG) and Blue Five Capital to enhance the global aluminum supply chain and support the trade corridor between the GCC countries and Asia.
• Rashid Equestrian and Horse Racing Club: unveiled a multi-stage master development plan to create a sports destination in a modern, world-class style on an area of 3 million square metres.
• Arcapita: Announced plans to invest in logistics infrastructure, including warehouses and data centers in the United Kingdom and the United States over the next year.
• Pune Sovereign Cloud Services: This is a collaboration between Pune Solutions and the Information and eGovernment Authority to launch the first AI-powered sovereign cloud platform in Bahrain using Oracle technology.
• Pune Solutions: Signed a memorandum of understanding with Gulf Air Group and Oracle to accelerate cloud innovation and implement a unified ERP strategy.
• The Tenders and Auctions Board announced the offering and awarding of government tenders worth billions of dollars during the first nine months of 2025, in a step that reflects the pioneering partnership with the private sector to develop infrastructure in the Kingdom.
The Gulf Gateway Forum confirms the shared vision of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries to enhance trade corridors, develop future industries, invest in advanced technology, and increase the contribution of non-oil sectors to the gross domestic product.
The forum is a vital platform to highlight Bahrain as a flexible and attractive gateway for investments to the region, bringing together decision-makers and global leaders.
The success of this year’s edition and the increasing participation annually demonstrates Bahrain’s growing international appeal and consolidates the Kingdom’s position on the global stage. End
