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With a safe and cosmopolitan
lifestyle and mature industrial infrastructure, with industrial incentives unique to the region, with its reputation as a banking center, with a legal system geared to protection of capital and with its strategic location, Bahrain offers itself as a premier Middle East investment location. |
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Due to its strategic
location, a number of multinational groups of companies have established offices in Bahrain as their regional base such as Citicorp, American Express, Nomura Investment Banking, Arab Banking
Corporation, Gulf International Bank, DHL and Investcorp. |
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Bahrain has also strong
trading relations with international community. USA is Bahrain’s leading trading partner with US$ 450 million in
exports for the year 2000. As of July 2001, more than 100 US firms have started operating in Bahrain and new ones continue to arrive. |
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Country’s free zones provide
facilities of duty free merchandise for re-export and duty free import of materials and machinery for manufacturing and duty-free access to Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states provided that
40% of the content has been added locally. |
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A new industrial area at
Hidd to be completed by 2005 will be equipped with all modern day facilities. |
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There are numerous
development projects underway and on completion, the Bahrain will see a new era of development. A glimpse of some of the important projects is as under: |
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The feasibility study of the
causeway (45 kms) between Qatar and Bahrain is under evaluation – a project of $2 billion. |
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A new 6-lane causeway will
be built to link Manama and Sitra. |
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A causeway bridge between
Manama and Hidd is being
completed. |
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Amawaj Islands project in
addition to tourism and residential developments also includes a floating city known as “Al Marsa”, would be a true replica of the romantic Italian city “Venice city” at the island on a cost of US $ 40 million. |
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Durrat Al Bahrain, the most
ambitious project of Bahrain, comprises seven man-made islands and is 30 kms away from Manama and will be
30% larger than capital city Manama. |
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The project also includes a Disney-style aqua-park worth BD 6 million covering an area of 450,000 square meters will soon be opened to
visitors. |
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The residential properties at these projects are available to foreign investors. |
