Gourmet pizza chain ZPizza has opened its first restaurant in Bahrain. The opening was hailed by the American Chamber of Commerce in Bahrain (AmCham Bahrain) as another success story of the Bahrain-US Free Trade Agreement.

Located in Al Sultan Mall, Zayed Town, the artisan-inspired pizza chain appeals to traditional pizza lovers, health-conscious consumers and gourmet palates in Bahrain, said a press release.

Speaking before the ribbon cutting, Qays H. Zu’bi, president of AmCham Bahrain, stated “ZPizza is an FTA success story.  In addition to being a California-based franchise, any ingredients, restaurant appliances and other required items sourced from the U.S. enter Bahrain duty free.  This contributes to the company’s bottom line and good value of ZPizza’s unique and delicious product.”

“ZPizza brings new jobs and opportunities to the Kingdom. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have become a vital part of Bahrain’s private sector and contribute substantially to the Government of Bahrain goal of greater economic diversification,” he added.

The Bahrain-US Free Trade Agreement is marking its 10th anniversary this year. Bilateral trade reached more than 2 billion dollars in 2015, according to the press statement.  

Companies and consumers in Bahrain and the U.S. benefit from the FTA in many ways, including through duty free trade in consumer, industrial and agricultural products; substantial market access across the entire services sector; strong protection and enforcement for copyright, patent, and trademark owners and intellectual property protection in the digital environment, supporting electronic media and Internet service providers, increased transparency and efficiency in customs administration, including publication of laws and regulations on the Internet and procedural certainty and fairness.  All of these benefits create a ripe environment for promoting bilateral trade and investment, the statement added. – TradeArabia News Service