Bahrain Records Improvement in Economic Sector Indicators

Bahrain’s capital Manama (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Bahrain’s capital Manama (Asharq Al-Awsat)
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Bahrain Records Improvement in Economic Sector Indicators

Bahrain’s capital Manama (Asharq Al-Awsat)
Bahrain’s capital Manama (Asharq Al-Awsat)

Bahrain’s Ministry of Finance and National Economy has announced continued improvement in the financial and economic indicators of various economic sectors during Q1 2022, exceeding the pre-pandemic 2019 benchmarks.

This improvement comes in line with the Kingdom’s launching of its economic recovery plan, which includes initiatives and strategies targeting several promising sectors to serve citizens.

In the tourism and hospitality sector, the average occupancy rate in four and five-stars hotels was 55%, while the number of mall visitors increased by 26.9% compared with the same quarter in 2021.

Another sign of the turnaround is the 35.4% increase in new commercial licenses in 2022 and so did the value of sales using Bahrain ATM cards, which increased by 4.2%.

Remarkable growth was achieved in February in the financial services sector as Fawri+ transactions grew by 55.1% and Fawri transactions increased by 22.1%.

In terms of international trade, the total value of exports amounted to 64.7%, and the total fuel sales increased by 12.2%.

Similarly, total non-bank deposits grew by 12.7% and the Bahrain Bourse index witnessed a 33.3% increase.

In the real estate sector, transactions registered with the Survey and Land Registration Bureau increased by 19.6%, while the number of building permits increased by 15.8%.



Gold Steady as Focus Shifts to US Data for Economic Cues

Gold bullion displayed in a store in the German city of Pforzheim (dpa)
Gold bullion displayed in a store in the German city of Pforzheim (dpa)
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Gold Steady as Focus Shifts to US Data for Economic Cues

Gold bullion displayed in a store in the German city of Pforzheim (dpa)
Gold bullion displayed in a store in the German city of Pforzheim (dpa)

Gold prices were little changed on Monday, while investors awaited a slew of US economic data including the December nonfarm payrolls report for further guidance on the Federal Reserve's stance on interest rates.
Spot gold held its ground at $2,635.39 per ounce by 0510 GMT. US gold futures dropped 0.2% to $2,646.80.
How the US jobs data fares this week could hold the key to whether gold breaks out of its recent range, said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade.
"There is a plethora of US data due for release this week (including ISM Services PMI data), and any downside misses could hurt the USD and help gold."
The US jobs report, due on Friday, is expected to provide more clues to the Fed's rate outlook after the US central bank rattled markets last month by reducing its projected cuts for 2025.
Investors are also awaiting ADP hiring and job openings data, as well as minutes of the Fed's last policy meeting for further direction.
Gold flourishes in a low-interest-rate environment and serves as a hedge against geopolitical uncertainties and inflation.
US President-elect Donald Trump is set to return to office on Jan. 20 and his proposed tariffs and protectionist policies are expected to fuel inflation.
This could prompt the Fed to go slow on rate cuts, limiting gold's upside. After three rate cuts in 2024, the Fed has projected only two reductions for 2025 due to persistent inflation.
The US central bank's benchmark policy rate should stay restrictive until it is more certain that inflation is returning to its 2% target, Richmond Federal Reserve President Thomas Barkin said on Friday.
Spot silver was down 0.2% at $29.57 per ounce, platinum dipped 0.7% to $931.30 and palladium fell 0.4% to $918.22.