The daily trading session of the Bahrain Bourse (BHB) will be extended by half an hour from December 1, said a report.

This follows a resolution issued by bourse chairman Yusuf Abdulla Humood, reported the Gulf Daily News, our sister publication.

From next month, trading at the bourse will start at 9.30am and end at 1pm.

BHB deputy chief executive and chief operations officer Shaikh Khalifa bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said the decision to extend the trading period was taken following a study of all factors that would have a positive effect on activity.

The proposals being considered include implementing an online trading incentive programme which will become effective during the coming weeks and draw new types of investors from Bahrain and abroad.

"Cross-listing agreements that the bourse has signed with more than one GCC stock market require all having similar trading hours to allow longer time to investors to benefit from the investment opportunities in the cross-listed companies," he said.

Shaikh Khalifa also said that the decision was taken to provide a better environment for non-Bahrainis and potential investors who are expected to invest as a result of the bourse's strategy aimed at attracting and encouraging the listing of non-Bahraini companies.-TradeArabia News Service