Bahrain Records Improvement in Economic Sector Indicators

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

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 Gains as Dollar Slips on Trump Tariff Uncertainty

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)
TT

Gold Gains as Dollar Slips on Trump Tariff Uncertainty

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 rose on Tuesday as the US dollar eased due to uncertainty around President-elect Donald Trump's tariff plans, with further support coming from top consumer China's central bank adding to its gold reserves for a second straight month.

Spot gold was up 0.5% at $2,648.75 per ounce, as of 1218 GMT. US gold futures also rose 0.5% to $2,660.20.

"The main factor is the softening of the US dollar over the last two sessions, which has provided some relief for the precious metal," said Ricardo Evangelista, senior analyst at ActivTrades.

The dollar index eased towards a one-week low versus major peers as traders considered whether President-elect Donald Trump's tariffs would be less aggressive than promised following a report in the Washington Post, Reuters reported.

Trump however denied the report, deepening uncertainty about future US trade policies.

A stronger dollar makes bullion more expensive for other currency holders.

Traders are setting their sights on Friday's US jobs report for Fed policy clues, along with job openings data due later in the day, ADP employment and the minutes from the Fed's December meeting on Wednesday.

Fed Governor Lisa Cook on Monday said that the Fed can be cautious about any further rate cuts given a solid economy and inflation proving stickier than previously expected.

Bullion is considered a hedge against inflation, but high rates reduce the non-yielding asset's appeal.

Meanwhile, China's gold reserves stood at 73.29 million fine troy ounces at the end of December as the central bank kept buying gold for a second straight month, official data showed.

"By re-entering the market in December, Beijing signaled that its gold acquisition program remains active—a development likely to lend continued support to the precious metal's price," Evangelista added.

Gold prices gained about 27% in 2024, mainly boosted by robust central bank purchases and Fed rate cuts.

Spot silver gained 0.8% to $30.19 per ounce, platinum added 1.2% to $944.39 and palladium rose 0.9% to $928.38.