The Central Bank of Bahrain (CBB) has announced its decision to maintain the overnight deposit interest rate unchanged at 4.25%. This comes following a review by CBB to maintain the kingdom's monetary and financial stability in the light of global financial market developments.
GCC fixed-income yields are benefitting from a decline in geopolitical risk premiums following the US-Iran deal, according to Fitch Ratings. This is reflected in yield spreads between GCC investment-grade debt and US Treasury bonds having returned to pre-war levels.
The UAE has announced the launch of its first sovereign retail sukuk programme, offering individual investors access to government-backed Islamic investment instruments through a public subscription process. The sukuk will be offered through an IPO-style subscription framework.
National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) acted as Joint Lead Manager and Bookrunner in Bahrain’s successful $1 billion 10-year international bond issuance.
The GDP of GCC states is forecast to grow by 8.1% in 2027 as energy trade routes normalise, travel demand returns, and business confidence rebuilds, says a report.
Resilience, rather than size or legacy, will define long-term success for banks navigating disruption and digital native challenger banks, says a new report by Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the leading global financial centre in the Middle East.
Bahrain has achieved solid rankings across several key indicators in the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2026, with its startup ecosystem generating $1.6 billion in value, thanks to its agile startup ecosystem, which enables entrepreneurs to develop and test their ideas within a supportive environment.
The proposed $300 billion fund being discussed as part of the US-Iran interim peace agreement is intended to serve as a private investment vehicle to help drive economic development and reconstruction in Iran, according to a Reuters report.
The UAE Ministry of Finance (MoF) announced that the total revenues collected from Value Added Tax (VAT) and Excise Tax and distributed to the federal and local governments exceeded AED46 billion ($12.53 billion) in 2025, up from approximately AED41 billion in 2024, reflecting a year-on-year increase of 15%.
Mubadala Investment Company, an Abu Dhabi sovereign investor, has acquired $200 million worth of Equitix’s stake in Greenlink, a joint venture between Equitix and Baltic Cable which operates a 504 MW subsea electricity interconnector linking Great Britain with Ireland.
