Oxford Business Group launches The Report: Emerging Bahrain 2007

The 250-page publication, the product of a team of experienced analysts who have spent nearly a year recording some two hundred interviews with the leading political and economic figures of the country, covering each of the vital aspects of Bahrain, its governance, society and economy, The Report presents a vital, in-depth understanding of the country.

The Report, published in association with the Bahrain Economic Development Board, features a viewpoint profiling Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain, in which it recounts how His Majesty takes great pride in seeing the Gulf as a whole playing an increasingly important and valued role as an international centre for trade and commerce, and has been particularly pleased by the new closeness with neighbouring GCC state Qatar, as the King seeks to bring peace through example.

The direction and momentum of Bahrain is also provided through a series of exclusive interviews with a series of prominent government and business figures.

Minister of Finance Sheikh Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa asserts that the government is ensuring the private sector fulfills the increasing demands of economic growth by renewing investments in physical infrastructure and also through other strategies designed to provide Bahrain and its workforce with a competitive advantage.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Essa Al Khalifa, Chief Executive, Economic Development Board, stresses that Bahrain's overall national economic vision encompasses a plan which will take the country from its current position as a regional pioneer to one of a global contender.

"It is not that our priorities have changed but rather we are working on moving Bahrain up the value chain so as to drive greater productivity across all sectors of the economy," he says.

An assessment of the future of oil and gas in Bahrain is given by Sheikh Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, General Manager of the Bahrain National Gas Company, says he considers the private sector should play a greater role in the expansion of the natural gas sector.

HE Dr Abdul-Hussain bin Ali Mirza, Minister of Oil and Gas Affairs and Chairman of the National Oil and Gas Authority, says that, while oil and gas will contribute the majority of government revenue in the short to medium term, Bahrain is moving away from energy reliance and more towards services: "The government wants to encourage more parties to invest in the country so it is imperative that Bahrain maintains its tradition of openness in order to bring capital here."

Minister of Commerce and Industry, Dr Hassan Fakhro, also defines the need to continue diversifying the country's economy away from energy-intensive basic industries, and he looks to the country's desire to attract international companies who want to make Bahrain a regional hub for high-tech, knowledge-based industries.

Rasheed Al-Maraj, Governor of the Central Bank of Bahrain, points out the role of the institution in attracting foreign investment, focuses on the overhaul of Offshore Banking Units, and asserts that, with Bahrain now reaching a critical mass of financial institutions, how important it is to maintain high standards and a strong reputation as a regulator.

The immense impact on Bahrain's economy of the new Formula One event is underlined by Talal Al Zain, Chairman of the Bahrain International Circuit, who points out that this year's event is expected to bring a record US$450 million to the country's economy.

OBG's Editor-in-Chief Andrew Jeffreys said: "We are in the information business, and our most important role is in alerting people to opportunity by providing accessible economic, political and business intelligence."

The wide ranging appraisals combine the unique nature of The Report: Emerging Bahrain 2007, available in print form or online, and with a distribution of 71,000, which offers the most extensive independent, unbiased and accurate intelligence available, and is part of the range of OBG's publications, which are renowned as leading sources of information in developing and emerging markets around the world.