Bahrain Targets 5% Increase in Non-Oil Sector

General view of Bahrain World Trade Center in Manama, Bahrain, February 21, 2019. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
General view of Bahrain World Trade Center in Manama, Bahrain, February 21, 2019. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
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Bahrain Targets 5% Increase in Non-Oil Sector

General view of Bahrain World Trade Center in Manama, Bahrain, February 21, 2019. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed
General view of Bahrain World Trade Center in Manama, Bahrain, February 21, 2019. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed

Bahrain targets a 5% increase in the non-oil economic sector in 2022, said a report published by the Bahrain News Agency BNA.

It pointed out that the contributions of non-oil activities to the Kingdom’s GDP increased from 58% in 2002 to 81% in 2020, up $33 billion.

In order to achieve this target, Manama set a plan to implement advanced strategies aimed at developing the tourism sector to attract 14.1 million tourists by 2026, and the logistic services by raising the capacity of Khalifa bin Salman Port to one million containers, air freight to one million metric tons, and adding more than 70 air destinations.

Among its objectives are supporting the transformation of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, such as manufacturing automation and artificial intelligence, developing the financial services sector, with 365 financial and banking institutions, and supporting the digital economy.

This comes in line with ranking the Kingdom first in the Arab region on the ICT Development Index (IDI) by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) report 2021.

The report underlined statistics by the World Bank and Digital 2021: Global Overview Report showing that Bahrain was also ranked first globally in the rate of individuals using the internet, with nearly 100% of the population.

It excels in 5G network coverage and seeks to cover 95% of households with high-speed fiber optic technology by 2023, the report added.

The Kingdom also seeks to raise the number of electronic services provided to the population from 578 to 1,600, develop the oil sector by completing the “Bapco Refinery” expansion projects, activate the LNG import platform, and develop oil and gas resources.

Bahrain has been witnessing positive economic developments in line with its advanced programs and policy to diversify sources of income, encourage investment and innovation, and provide more job opportunities for citizens.

This comes as part of its development vision that relies on transforming challenges into sustainable success opportunities.



Egypt Increased Gas, Oil Production in Q3 of 2024

Egyptian Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi speaks at an event hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Cairo. (Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum)
Egyptian Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi speaks at an event hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Cairo. (Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum)
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Egypt Increased Gas, Oil Production in Q3 of 2024

Egyptian Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi speaks at an event hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Cairo. (Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum)
Egyptian Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi speaks at an event hosted by the American Chamber of Commerce in Cairo. (Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum)

Egypt’s Petroleum Minister Karim Badawi announced that his country had increased gas production between July and October 2024, with an extra 200 million cubic feet of gas and 39,000 barrels of crude oil per day.

Speaking at an American Chamber of Commerce event in Cairo, Badawi said the Ministry's strategy to address challenges and speed up development, production, and exploration is showing positive results, with early indicators confirming this progress.

Badawi explained that the Ministry is working to attract more investments in the oil and gas sector, both local and international, to meet domestic demand and reduce import costs.

He also noted efforts to regularly settle payments to foreign partners, offer incentives to boost production, and implement pricing reforms, as well as creating new investment opportunities and working with global partners to cut production costs.

Key developments include the resumption of drilling next month at the Zohr gas field, with two new wells expected to add 220 million cubic feet of gas per day. Gas production at the Raven field in the Mediterranean will also be accelerated in January 2025 with additional investment from BP.

Shell has completed the installation of two new wells in the West Delta, with a third set to follow next month. Agiba Petroleum is speeding up work in the Western Desert, and Apache Corporation is helping to increase gas production in the area.

Looking ahead, Badawi outlined plans to further accelerate production and exploration and improve refining capacity, especially at the expanded Midor refinery.