Bahrein

Composed of about thirty islands in the Persian Gulf, Bahrain is an important stop on the trade routes, and this since antiquity

General presentation

Official name: Kingdom of Bahrain
Type of government: constitutional monarchy
Area: 760 km² spread over 33 islands, some of which are uninhabited
Capital: Manama
Main cities: Muharraq, Riffa, Jidhafs, Hamad Town, Isa Town
Official language: Arabic

National holiday: December 16

Population: 1.569 million Density: 1851 inhabitants/km²
Population growth: 3.8
Literacy: No World Bank data beyond 2010 (93% (M) 90% (F))
Source: Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs

Economic situation

The most diversified economy among the CCEAG[1] countries (89% of GDP comes from non-oil activities), Bahrain has not been less affected by the health crisis than its neighbors. Weakened by the successive crises it has experienced since 2008 (global crisis, uprising during the Arab Spring in 2011, fall in oil prices in 2014), its economy is facing a new contraction of 5.4% in 2020. The pandemic and the oil shock have accentuated the deterioration of its economic balance. Despite the diversification of the economy, the Bahraini economy is closely linked to variations in oil prices; in 2020 the sector will still account for 55% of budget revenues and 42.6% of exports. The 3.3% recovery in 2021 expected by the IMF will depend on higher oil prices, but also and above all on the non-oil sector.
Source: Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs

Bilateral Relations

Bilateral investment treaties

Work in process

Double taxation agreements

Work in process

Free trade agreements

Work in process

Leading sector for Swiss companies

Work in process

Indicators

201620172018 E2019 E
GDP (in billions of USD)32.2335.3339.3041.61
GDP per capita (USD)222.63724.32626.53227.926
Growth rate3.53.83.22.6
Unemployment rate43.83.8
Inflation rate2.81.43.04.8
Public debt (% of GDP)81.35088.50488.41791.693
Budget balance (% of GDP)-13.8-10.2
Current account balance (% of GDP)-4.6-4.5-2.5-2.3

Sources FMI, Banque Mondiale

Main customers

2018: UAE (19.6%), Saudi Arabia (11.7%), US (10.8%), China (6.5%)

Main suppliers

2018 :China (8.8%), UAE (7.2%), United States (7.1%), Australia (5.3%), Japan (4.8%)

Swiss exports to

Work in process

Exports of …. to Switzerland

Work in process

Swiss direct investment in

Work in process

The business climate

Work in process