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Bahrain Implements Government Projects Worth $1.9 Bn During Q1 of 2018

A scene in Bahrain’s capital, Manama. Asharq Al-Awsat
A scene in Bahrain’s capital, Manama. Asharq Al-Awsat
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Bahrain Implements Government Projects Worth $1.9 Bn During Q1 of 2018

A scene in Bahrain’s capital, Manama. Asharq Al-Awsat
A scene in Bahrain’s capital, Manama. Asharq Al-Awsat

Bahrain has established investment projects worth $1.9 billion in various sectors during the first quarter of 2018, with oil, gas, infrastructure and health sectors topping these projects.

Oil and gas sectors accounted for 32 percent of the total value of these projects at $623 million.

The momentum of investment in this sector was mainly due to the construction and expansion project of the Bahrain Petroleum Company (Bapco) refinery through which Bahrain plans to raise its production capacity in oil refining from 260 thousand barrels per day (bpd) to about 360 thousand bpd.

The increase in production capacity comes in line with the expansion of the oil pipeline linking Saudi Arabia to the Kingdom of Bahrain, which will increase its capacity to 350,000 bpd.

Second came the infrastructure sector with 31.9 percent of the total value of the established projects, which amounted to $615 million. The third place was taken by the health sector with 22 percent and a total value of about $440 million.

Aviation sector, for its part, accounted for about seven percent of the projects implemented during the first quarter of 2018, with aviation contracts amounting to $136 million.

Bahrain’s government also continues to invest in the housing sector by accelerating steps to reduce the waiting period of the Bahraini citizen between submitting the application and receiving the property.

The percentage of government investments in this sector is about 1.5 percent, at more than $28 million.

This was followed by the information sector with a rate of 1.2 percent, with contracts worth about $24 million, then the youth and sports sector by 1.1 percent and the volume of investment contracts of about $21 million.

Accordingly, 190 projects were implemented in the infrastructure sector, 79 projects in the oil and gas sector, 53 projects in the aviation sector and 38 projects in the health sector.

These were followed by the education and youth sector with 24 projects, 12 projects were implemented in the investment sector and five projects in the housing sector.

The size of these investments reflects the extent of government interest in enhancing the Kingdom's infrastructure, which holds the largest share of the value of the projects.

These investments are mainly related to the infrastructure projects the government is working on in cooperation with the private sector.

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Saudi Arabia Expands Efforts to Integrate into Global Supply Chains

Al-Falih speaking during the 28th Annual World Investment Conference in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Al-Falih speaking during the 28th Annual World Investment Conference in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Saudi Arabia Expands Efforts to Integrate into Global Supply Chains

Al-Falih speaking during the 28th Annual World Investment Conference in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Al-Falih speaking during the 28th Annual World Investment Conference in Riyadh (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Saudi Arabia is intensifying its efforts to secure access to essential materials, promote local manufacturing, enhance sustainability, and strengthen its participation in global supply chains. This follows Minister of Investment Khalid Al-Falih’s announcement of nine new agreements, alongside 25 additional deals under review, under the Global Supply Chain Resilience Initiative (Jusoor).
Speaking during the 28th Annual World Investment Conference in Riyadh, Al-Falih described these agreements as a major step toward building more resilient and efficient supply chains in the Kingdom.
He noted that the program, which reflects the vision of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, forms part of the National Investment Strategy and is supported by government programs such as the National Industrial Development and Logistics Program (NIDLP).
Al-Falih highlighted Saudi Arabia’s plans to facilitate access to critical minerals, promote local manufacturing, and expand its footprint in global green energy markets. He emphasized that “green supply” is a fundamental pillar of the initiative, supported by investments in renewable energy.
The Kingdom aims to develop 100 new investment opportunities across 25 value chains, including projects in green energy and artificial intelligence (AI), he underlined.
The government is also offering incentives for companies to invest in special economic zones and aims to attract investments in emerging sectors such as semiconductors and digital manufacturing. Al-Falih stressed the importance of collaboration between public and private sectors in advancing Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 goals.
He reiterated the government’s full commitment to realizing this vision, with ministries continuing to support this strategic initiative focused on sustainable development and the localization of advanced industries.
Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Al-Khorayef announced that Saudi Arabia has attracted over $160 billion in investments to its market—nearly triple previous figures. Capital in the mining sector has grown to $1 billion, while investments in mineral wealth have exceeded $260 million.
Al-Khorayef underlined the Kingdom’s commitment to building strong, reliable partnerships through strategies that prioritize supply chain development and sustainability. He identified the Jusoor initiative as a key mechanism for linking Saudi Arabia to global supply chains, tackling challenges such as energy transitions and the growing demand for critical minerals.
For his part, Minister of State and Cabinet Member Dr. Hamad Al-Sheikh, who also serves as Secretary-General of the Localization and Balance of Payments Committee, highlighted Saudi Arabia’s strategic investments in infrastructure, saying that these efforts aim to position the Kingdom as a leading global logistics hub.