pwc held a vat seminar in bahrain as part of a region wide initiative to update locally based businesses on the latest developments and the implications of the introduction of vat in the gulf cooperation council (GCC) states.

over the past decade, GCC governments have invested heavily in girls’ education and STEM fields. the governments have been very supportive of new start-up projects, bringing together the banking sector and women entrepreneurs in need of funding to create a self-sustaining region of citizens for the post– hydrocarbon economy. bahrain government’s most successful initiative tamkeen, boasts beneficiaries that include 47% women.

according to ernst & young’s latest growth drivers report strength in unity, if the GCC were to become one single market instead of six separate ones, it would be the ninth largest economy in the world today – similar in size to canada and russia and not far from india.

bahrain is ideal location, small market size and political stability is boosting confidence amongst property investors according to faisal faqeeh, chairman bin faqeeh real estate investment company. a lot of saudis, qataris and kuwaitis consider and want to make bahrain their second home - he says, it’s easier to predict the market here compared to saudi arabia where the market is huge and dubai, where the market is overly populated ...