The 2009 Annual Index of Economic Freedom, published by the Heritage Foundation and The Wall Street Journal, has ranked the Kingdom of Bahrain as the 16th freest economy in the world and the most free in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The country has also been recognised as the most sophisticated financial market in the GCC Region by the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Report 2008-2009.

The Kingdom has a history of trade and commerce stretching back 5,000 years to the Dilmun civilisation that flourished in this archipelago of 33 islands situated between the east coast of Saudi Arabia and the Qatar peninsula in the Arabian Gulf. Nestled on the largest island in the archipelago, Bahrain means ‘two seas’ in Arabic and has served as the ‘Gateway to the Gulf’ down the centuries, linking the world to the markets of the GCC region, Middle East and North Africa.

Modern Bahrain continues to live up to its rich tradition and reputation as a pre-eminent trade and financial hub, with the Central Bank of Bahrain being globally recognised as one of the best central banks in the Middle East region. Its 419 financial institutions are governed by a very strong regulatory framework and the Kingdom is known for the quality of its human resources, boasting the highest literacy rate in the GCC. The country’s population of approximately 1,039,000 has a GNI per capita of US $24,984 as per 2007 statistics.

Known for its liberal economic policies, Bahrain was the first country in the region to offer freehold property rights and develop into a haven for tourists from the region and across the world. It is the first country in the Middle East Region to have  hosted the  Formula I racing event with the inaugural race have being held in 2004. 

Bahrain is connected to Saudi Arabia, the biggest country in the GCC, by a 25km causeway and will soon be linked to the Kingdom of Qatar by a 40km bridge that is presently under construction. Although it has global trade links, its major target markets continue to be its GCC neighbours, namely Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and Oman.