Bahrain is to step up efforts to protect its financial institutions against global threats.

The Central Bank of Bahrain was yesterday instructed to take proper pre-emptive measures.

His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa and His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Crown Prince and Economic Development Board Chairman, gave the directives as they met.

'The preventive measures are necessary to protect the financial sector and consolidate Bahrain's position as a regional and global financial hub,' they said.

Officials have been instructed to closely review the financial situation, including the euro crisis, and its fallout on the regional and global economies.

They were also urged to try to steer Bahrain's economy away from potential repercussions.

The two leaders also discussed the unprecedented growth of mega development projects under the wise leadership of His Majesty King Hamad.

They outlined a new initiative to run major development schemes.

It aims to ensure speedy and accurate execution of projects as well as commitment to meeting deadlines and allocated budgets.

Industrial investment trends were also discussed.

HRH the Premier and HRH the Crown Prince stressed the importance of such schemes in optimising development and urban march.

They vowed full state support to set up more environment-friendly industrial projects.

They called on state executive departments to translate the government's initiatives on industrial development into tangible reality.

They also asserted the government's keenness to promote Bahrain as a health services hub in the region, describing the King Hamad General Hospital as a milestone, which will consolidate the government's health policies.-TradeArabia News Service