Bahrain drew US $72.7 million in fresh financial-services investment during the first three quarters of 2022, underscoring the kingdom’s pull for fintechs and insurers seeking an agile regulatory base.
New arrivals and expansions—nine companies in total—include global blockchain giant Binance, open-banking specialist Spire Technologies and regional insurer Gulf Insurance Group, all funnelled through the Bahrain Economic Development Board. Their projects are expected to create more than 840 jobs within three years and add momentum to a sector that already accounts for 17 percent of GDP. The wins form part of a broader push that saw Bahrain attract US $921 million from 66 firms across ICT, logistics, manufacturing and tourism in the same nine-month window, with a projected 4,700 jobs on the way.
Officials credit a “strong and agile ecosystem” framed by the Central Bank’s early moves on open banking and crypto rules, plus a cost base that beats regional peers. Those ingredients feed directly into the Financial Services Development Strategy, which targets a 20 percent GDP share by 2026 and prioritises deeper capital markets, bigger insurance capacity and more fintech sandboxes. For founders, the headline number matters less than the signal it sends: heavyweight players are choosing Bahrain for regional headquarters, validating the market as a launchpad into Gulf customers while keeping regulatory overhead low.
Founders interested in Bahrain’s next investment round can reach out to EDB’s financial-services desk for guidance on setup and incentives.
