Trade with Saudi Arabia Accounts for 45% of All Bahrain-GCC Trade

Bahrain inaugurates first electric car charging station (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Bahrain inaugurates first electric car charging station (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Trade with Saudi Arabia Accounts for 45% of All Bahrain-GCC Trade

Bahrain inaugurates first electric car charging station (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Bahrain inaugurates first electric car charging station (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Figures released by Bahrain’s e-Government and Information Authority reaffirmed that trade with Saudi Arabia grew in Q1 2021, amounted to $789 million and accounted for almost half of all the kingdom’s trade with Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states.

Flow of trade between Manama and Riyadh depends largely on the King Fahd Causeway, where the adoption of new technology in the field of logistics services accelerated processing for the business of multinational companies based in Bahrain.

“Bahrain is moving forward with strengthening its cooperation with Saudi Arabia,” Executive Director of Bahrain’s Economic Development Board (EDB) Ali Al Mudaifa told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Mudaifa reaffirmed that bilateral trade relations with Saudi Arabia continue to grow stronger and that there are a number of factors which contributed to the increase in the volume of trade, including the low business costs and strong interdependence.

“It is great to see the endeavors of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in finding innovative solutions to maintain the continuity of business flow between the two countries,” he said, noting that it now takes a mere 40-minute drive to get from one kingdom to another.

Moreover, trade between Bahrain and the rest of the GCC members rose 6% year-on-year to $1.76 billion during the first quarter of 2021, according to the latest official figures.

Trade between the UAE and Bahrain in the first three months of this year saw a 15% boost and amounted to $639 million.

Trade between Oman and Bahrain increased by 27% to $230 million in the same period. Oman was followed by Kuwait, which recorded $98 million in bilateral trade in Q1 2021.

In other news, Bahrain’s Electricity and Water Minister Wael bin Nasser Al Mubarak and Electricity and Water Authority (EWA)’s CEO Shaikh Nawaf bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa inaugurated the first electric cars charging station in the Atrium Mall in Saar, west of the capital, Manama.

It is worth noting that this comes within the framework of achieving Bahrain Economic Vision 2030.

EWA’s CEO said that the electric car charger was installed by “Siemens” one of the specialized companies in this field, and it supports most types of electric cars.

He explained that this station will be the first among a number of additional stations that will be opened in the future in various regions of the Kingdom. A study of data usage and feedback will be conducted so that the development process will be continuous in the new stations.



Digital Marketing Emerges as Engine of Economic Efficiency

Digital Marketing Emerges as Engine of Economic Efficiency
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Digital Marketing Emerges as Engine of Economic Efficiency

Digital Marketing Emerges as Engine of Economic Efficiency

In an era increasingly defined by data and rapid technological transformation, digital marketing has evolved from a simple promotional tool into a core driver of economic productivity. Experts say the discipline is reshaping business models by enabling precise targeting, reducing waste, and maximizing returns.

Financial and economic advisor Dr. Hussein Al-Attas told Asharq Al-Awsat that digital marketing is now an economic necessity rather than a luxury. “Digital transformation has become a key lever for productivity and return on investment,” he said, noting that analytics and artificial intelligence are redefining the rules of competition.

According to Al-Attas, the shift from broad-based marketing to highly personalized campaigns has allowed companies to forecast demand with greater accuracy, cut unnecessary costs, and accelerate sales cycles. He emphasized that this transformation offers smaller firms a chance to compete with major players by reaching their target audiences more efficiently and experimenting in new markets without heavy infrastructure spending.

“Today, the market value of a company is measured not just by its products but by the depth and quality of its data,” Al-Attas added, predicting that AI and predictive analytics will continue to revolutionize marketing by automating content, refining targeting, and driving higher returns. He also stressed the importance of respecting data ethics to build consumer trust and long-term growth.

Economic analyst Rowan bin Rabeean echoed these views, describing digital marketing as a true driver of productivity and economic expansion. She explained that the shift to real-time analytics has fundamentally changed supply and demand dynamics, as companies no longer rely on historical estimates but react to live market signals.

Bin Rabeean said that in today’s digital economy, smaller enterprises are finding unprecedented opportunities to expand their reach and enhance competitiveness. Affordable tools such as social media campaigns and search engine optimization allow them to reach customers more effectively than traditional channels ever could.

Looking ahead, she predicted that AI-powered marketing will help businesses anticipate customer needs before they are even expressed, driving smarter, faster decisions and elevating economic efficiency overall.

Bin Rabeean concluded that in this new landscape, those who own and understand data will hold the competitive advantage. However, she emphasized the growing imperative to protect consumer privacy alongside the rise of data-driven business models.