BAHRAIN : Trade deficit reduced by 41.1%; exports increased by 46.7%

Media IN Manama, 1st June 2019 (BNA):

The minister of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism, Zayed bin Rashid Al-Zayani announced that the volume of exports increased by 46.7% during Q1 2019 compared to the same period in 2018, while imports increased by 21.9%. He also provided an update on the continued strength of the Bahraini economy, noting a number of positive economic indicators during the first quarter of 2019 and highlighting Bahrain’s strong commercial fundamentals.

”The Kingdom’s trade deficit has been reduced by 41.1% year on year, ” he added.

In his speech the minister said that Bahrain successfully hosted  a variety of activities and events attracting an increasing number of visitors, which significantly expanded economic activity in the tourism sector, increasing the sector’s contribution to the Kingdom’s overall GDP.

”Bahrain’s All Share Index increased by 5.7% during the first quarter of 2019, and with that, the market capitalisation of the Bahrain Bourse increased by 7.2% compared to the year before, delivering strong returns for investors in the Kingdom’s robust and diverse stock market.” he said

‘‘The Kingdom’s encouraging Q1 2019 economic indicators further demonstrate the strength of Bahrain’s economy, not only in the trade, tourism and industrial sectors but across all sectors’’