Saudi-Bahraini Holding Company to Lead Joint Investments

The agreement was reached on the sidelines of the second meeting of the Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council in Bahrain’s Sakhir Palace, Asharq Al-Awsat
The agreement was reached on the sidelines of the second meeting of the Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council in Bahrain’s Sakhir Palace, Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi-Bahraini Holding Company to Lead Joint Investments

The agreement was reached on the sidelines of the second meeting of the Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council in Bahrain’s Sakhir Palace, Asharq Al-Awsat
The agreement was reached on the sidelines of the second meeting of the Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council in Bahrain’s Sakhir Palace, Asharq Al-Awsat

Bahrain and Saudi Arabia agreed to hold a feasibility study for establishing a Bahraini-Saudi multi-industry holding company.

The agreement was reached on the sidelines of the second meeting of the Saudi-Bahraini Coordination Council in Bahrain’s Sakhir Palace, co-chaired by Bahraini Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa and visiting Saudi Crown Prince, Deputy Prime Minister, and Defense Minister Mohammed bin Salman.

It was signed on Thursday by the Chairman of the Federation of Saudi Chambers of Commerce Ajlan Al-Ajlan and the Bahrain Chamber of Industry and Commerce president, Samir bin Abdullah Nass.

Nass said the forum, which comes in light of the launch of plans and initiatives to boost the economy after the coronavirus pandemic, prompts working together to accelerate the pace of economic integration and development.

He noted that economic integration projects aim at the private sector in the first place.

Al Ajlan said: “The trade exchange between Bahrain and Saudi amounted to about 24.4 billion riyals in 2020, and Saudi exports to Bahrain represented 71.4% of the total exchange, reaching 17.4 bn Saudi riyals.”

Bahrain, he said, ranks second among the GCC countries in the volume of trade exchange with Saudi Arabia and the ninth partner Among the countries of the world.



Lebanon Receives $250 million World Bank Loan to Ease Power Problems

A view shows Lebanon's Central Bank building in Beirut, Lebanon April 4, 2025. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
A view shows Lebanon's Central Bank building in Beirut, Lebanon April 4, 2025. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
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Lebanon Receives $250 million World Bank Loan to Ease Power Problems

A view shows Lebanon's Central Bank building in Beirut, Lebanon April 4, 2025. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir
A view shows Lebanon's Central Bank building in Beirut, Lebanon April 4, 2025. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

The World Bank has granted Lebanon a $250 million loan aimed at helping alleviate persistent power cuts worsened by last year's war between Israel and Hezbollah, the country's finance ministry said on Thursday.

Even before the conflict, Lebanon had for years been struggling with a severe shortage of imported fuel and poor infrastructure.

Following the conflict, however, the World Bank said it would need around $11 billion for reconstruction and recovery, Reuters reported.

The fighting between the Iran-backed group and Israel ended for the most part in November through a brittle ceasefire brokered by the United States, though the two sides accuse each other of failing to fully implement the deal.

Lebanon had said it received preliminary approval to increase a World Bank reconstruction loan to $400 million from $250 million. The loan is part of a $1 billion reconstruction program, with the remainder of the financing to come from international aid.