Bahrain Launches Golden Residency Visa

Officials during the announcement of Bahrain's Golden Residency Visa (BNA)
Officials during the announcement of Bahrain's Golden Residency Visa (BNA)
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Bahrain Launches Golden Residency Visa

Officials during the announcement of Bahrain's Golden Residency Visa (BNA)
Officials during the announcement of Bahrain's Golden Residency Visa (BNA)

The Bahraini government announced the launch of the Golden Residency Visa, part of a series of economic initiatives within the Economic Recovery Plan.

The visa will contribute to enhancing the competitiveness of Bahrain, supporting development paths across various economic, investment, and service sectors.

It will also attract talent and open the opportunity to obtain and benefit from permanent residency in the Kingdom.

The weekly meeting was chaired by Crown Prince and Prime Minister Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa at Gudaibiya Palace.

The Bahraini measure aligns with other Gulf countries' initiatives to provide more flexible and longer-term visas amid regional economic competition.

Foreigners in the Gulf countries usually had renewable work visas valid for only a few years, restricting their residency.

The golden residence visa will be renewed indefinitely and grants the right to work in Bahrain and unrestricted entry and exit in addition to the right of residence for family members.

Nationality, Passports and Residence Affairs Undersecretary Hisham bin Abdulrahman Al Khalifa stressed that this announcement would enhance the competitiveness of Bahrain and support development in various economic, investment, and service sectors.

The Undersecretary announced the new measure at a press conference held at the Officers' Club in al-Qudhaibiya.

"The new Golden Residency Visa will help foreign investors and long-term residents and further contribute to the national economy," said the official.

Sheikh Hisham explained that by retaining and attracting those with talent, experience, and internationally renowned knowledge, "Bahrain has adopted a dynamic approach as we emerge from the pandemic with reasons to be highly optimistic about the strength and growth of our economy."

He explained that it would impact enhancing the Kingdom's level in international classifications, whether at the economic or other levels.

The Undersecretary noted that those who receive the golden visa would be able to issue a residency for their spouse, children, and parents.

They will also have the right to work in Bahrain, and the visa can be renewed for an indefinite period, provided that the person continues to qualify for the golden residency according to the conditions and standards, and it is not limited to a certain age.

The move comes within the framework of measures taken by Bahrain to settle its debt-burdened financial situation.

In October, Bahrain announced a new economic growth and fiscal balance plan, including major infrastructure projects.

Qualified applicants must have resided in Bahrain continuously for at least five years with a basic average salary of no fewer than $5,000 per month throughout the five years.

Other criteria include: owning one or more properties in Bahrain above a certain value or being certified as "highly-talented."

The applicants must be present in Bahrain for 90 days per year to ensure the validity of their visas.

UAE, Bahrain's neighbor and regional tourism and business hub, has introduced longer-duration and more varied visas over the past couple of years. It also granted professionals and their families the chance to be granted Emirati citizenship.



China Hits Back at US and Will Raise Tariffs on American Goods from 84% to 125%

An electronic board shows Shanghai and Shenzhen stock indices as people walk on a pedestrian bridge at the Lujiazui financial district in Shanghai, China April 11, 2025. REUTERS/Go Nakamura
An electronic board shows Shanghai and Shenzhen stock indices as people walk on a pedestrian bridge at the Lujiazui financial district in Shanghai, China April 11, 2025. REUTERS/Go Nakamura
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China Hits Back at US and Will Raise Tariffs on American Goods from 84% to 125%

An electronic board shows Shanghai and Shenzhen stock indices as people walk on a pedestrian bridge at the Lujiazui financial district in Shanghai, China April 11, 2025. REUTERS/Go Nakamura
An electronic board shows Shanghai and Shenzhen stock indices as people walk on a pedestrian bridge at the Lujiazui financial district in Shanghai, China April 11, 2025. REUTERS/Go Nakamura

China announced Friday that it will raise tariffs on US goods from 84% to 125% — the latest salvo in an escalating trade war between the world's two largest economies that has rattled markets and raised fears of a global slowdown.

While US President Donald Trump paused import taxes this week for other countries, he raised tariffs on China and they now total 145%. China has denounced the policy as “economic bullying" and promised countermeasures. The new tariffs begin Saturday.

Washington's repeated raising of tariffs “will become a joke in the history of the world economy,” a Chinese Finance Ministry spokesman said in a statement announcing the new tariffs. “However, if the US insists on continuing to substantially infringe on China’s interests, China will resolutely counter and fight to the end.”

China’s Commerce Ministry said it would file another lawsuit with the World Trade Organization against the US tariffs.

“There are no winners in a tariff war,” Chinese leader Xi Jinping said during a meeting with the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, according to a readout from state broadcaster CCTV. “For more than 70 years, China has always relied on itself ... and hard work for development, never relying on favors from anyone, and not fearing any unreasonable suppression.”

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday said China stands firm against Trump’s tariffs not only to defend its own rights and interests but also to “safeguard the common interests of the international community to ensure that humanity is not dragged back into a jungle world where might makes right.”

Wang made the remarks when he met Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Beijing. Wang said China will “work together with other countries to jointly resist all retrogressive actions in the world.”

Trump's on-again, off-again measures have caused alarm in stock and bond markets and led some to warn that the US could be headed for a recession. There was some relief when Trump paused the tariffs for most countries — but concerns remain since the US and China are the world's No. 1 and No. 2 economies, respectively.

“The risk that this escalating trade war tips the world into a recession is rising as the two largest and most powerful countries in the world continue to punch back with higher and higher tariffs,” Jennifer Lee, a senior economist at BMO Capital markets, wrote Friday. “No one truly knows when this will end.”

Chinese tariffs will affect goods like soybeans, aircrafts and their parts and drugs — all among the country's major imports from the US Beijing, meanwhile, suspended sorghum, poultry and bonemeal imports from some American companies last week, and put more export controls on rare earth minerals, critical for various technologies.

The United States' top imports from China, meanwhile, include electronics, like computers and cell phones, industrial equipment and toys — and consumers and businesses are likely to see prices rise on those products, with tariffs now at 145%.

Trump announced on Wednesday that China would face 125% tariffs, but he did not include a 20% tariff on China tied to its role in fentanyl production.

White House officials hope the import taxes will create more manufacturing jobs by bringing production back to the United States — a politically risky trade-off that could take years to materialize, if at all.