Bahrain’s economy has benefited from diversification, and Manama’s status as the Gulf’s premier financial hub is not under imminent threat, write James Gavin and Kevin Godier.Bahrain’s relative lack of hydrocarbon resources has helped it to become one of the region’s most diversified economies, stimulating a steady flow of project finance and other corporate activities in a range of sectors.
The landscape of Kuwait’s banking sector is shifting, providing its participants with new opportunities. Stephen Timewell reports from Kuwait City on the banks’ strategies for growth and profit. The highly profitable and comfortable world of Kuwaiti banking is now entering a period of radical transition as both market and regulatory forces begin to significantly reshape the industry.The massive hike in oil revenues, the licensing of not only international and regional banks but also new Islamic banks, as well as Iraq’s huge potential, provide the banking sector with huge opportunities – along with stiff competitive challenges – in a new and very different operating environment.