The Economic Development Council concluded a strategic visit to the United States of America that lasted five days until the beginning of this week, headed by Nour Bint Ali Al -Khalif, Minister of Sustainable Development, CEO of the Economic Development Council, and the participation of a number of council officials concerned with promoting investment in the Kingdom. The visit aimed to highlight the competitive advantages of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the ease of doing business in front of the leading American companies, with a special focus on three main sectors: financial services, manufacturing industries, information technology and communications.
The visit included the cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco, where the Economic Development Council held a series of high -level meetings, in addition to organizing meetings to communicate with potential investors and business leaders. During these activities, the competitive advantages enjoyed by Bahrain and the support system in it, in addition to the qualified national competencies, were highlighted in front of companies wishing to benefit from the opportunities for regional growth in the Gulf region.
In the context of the council’s efforts to marketing and strategic communication at the international level, the visit included exploratory meetings with a number of major American media institutions, and an interview with Bloomberg was secured. During the interview, Nour Bint Ali Al -Khalif emphasized the strength and depth of historical relations between Bahrain and the United States, noting the continuous role of the Kingdom of Bahrain in establishing its position as a global business center, and its constant commitment to enhancing the fields of technology and innovation.
The Economic Development Council organized an effectiveness for communication and a work dinner in San Francisco in cooperation with the MIT Technology Review of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The event started with an opening speech from His Excellency Mrs. Nour Bint Ali Al -Khalif, and was attended by Mrs. Elizabeth Barmeson, CEO and publisher of the magazine, along with a number of chief executives from the major technology and artificial intelligence companies in the San Francisco Bay area. The discussions were managed by Brian Prison, Director of Content and Events in the magazine, where dialogues dealt with artificial intelligence in advancing innovation, productivity and competitiveness across global markets, while highlighting the most prominent achievements of Bahrain in the technical field, and its success in enhancing an economy based on knowledge and digitization.
Bahrain and the United States have a strategic and commercial partnership that extends for more than a hundred years, and this relationship has been strengthened according to the C-SIPA integration and prosperity agreement that strengthened bilateral cooperation in the areas of emerging technology, trade and investment. The American Trade Zone located near Bahrain International Airport and King Fahd Bridge – for American companies operating in the Kingdom to maximize the benefit of the free trade agreement between Bahrain and the United States has signed since 2006, which was designed to deepen economic, trade and industrial cooperation between the two countries.
The volume of investment reflects the strength of the economic relationship between the two countries, as the volume of direct American investments in Bahrain increased from $ 387.4 million in 2020 to $ 537 million in 2024. The United States also ranked tenth among the largest investors in Bahrain during the year 2024, with investments of 37.8 million dollars, mainly focused in the sectors of information and communication technology, financial services, and manufacturing industries.
The list of prominent American companies operating in Bahrain includes: Amazon Web Service, American Express, City Bank, Cisco, Kimberly-Clark and Mondeys, which reflects the environment in support of business in the Kingdom.
This strategic visit reflects Bahrain’s continuous commitment to attracting qualitative foreign investments and enhancing the bonds of economic cooperation with the United States.
The Economic Development Council continues, with the support of the Bahrain team, to consolidate the Kingdom’s position as a regional center for financial services, manufacturing and digital innovation, supported by competitive operational costs and advanced communication in regional and global markets.
