News
  • UAE monitors desalination plants after oil spill Administrator

    3 November 2026

    State utility Etihad Water & Electricity (EtihadWE) says it is monitoring seawater quality at desalination plant intake points following an oil spill off the UAE's northern coast.

    In a statement, the utility said it is continuing to "implement proactive measures to safeguard the water production system" following the spread of an oil slick towards coastal areas in the emirates of Umm Al-Quwain, Ras Al-Khaimah, Ajman and Sharjah.

    The spill involved the tanker Gem No. 2, which was struck by a projectile in UAE territorial waters on 9 October. The resulting oil pollution has raised concerns over potential contamination of seawater used by desalination plants along the northern coast.

    EtihadWE said its measures include continuous monitoring of seawater quality at plant intake points, regular testing of produced and distributed water, and verification of compliance with approved standards before water enters the distribution network.

    The utility added that the precautionary measures will not affect the continuity of water supplies to consumers in the Northern Emirates.

    In an earlier update on 30 October, the Climate Change & Environment Ministry said the oil slick was concentrated off the coast of Umm Al-Quwain, extending partially towards coastal areas in Ras Al-Khaimah, Ajman and Sharjah.

    The ministry said the concentration of pollution had declined significantly and that the leak had been stopped at source. However, surveying, monitoring and clean-up operations are continuing in affected coastal areas.

    The Energy & Infrastructure Ministry said specialised technical teams are continuing work to address technical issues with the tanker, including repairing damaged sections, restoring operational systems and assessing the integrity of its structure.

    The proximity of the oil slick to the Naqa'a desalination plant in Umm Al-Quwain has drawn particular attention. According to media reports, the slick approached to within approximately 2 kilometres of the facility.

    Naqa'a has a production capacity of 150 million imperial gallons a day, equivalent to approximately 682,000 cubic metres a day. The plant supplies water to the Northern Emirates and has been operational since 2022.

    It is owned by Naqa'a Desalination Plant, a special-purpose vehicle established by Mubadala, Acwa and the former Federal Electricity & Water Authority, now known as EtihadWE.

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    Mark Dowdall
  • Oman signs 1GW battery storage agreement Administrator

    3 November 2026

    Oman's Nama Holding, a subsidiary of Oman Investment Authority (OIA), has signed a framework agreement with China's State Grid International Development to develop battery energy storage systems (bess) with a targeted capacity of 1GW.

    The agreement covers two battery storage systems, each with a capacity of 500MW, at Duqm Industrial Station and Al-Subaikhi (Ibri Solar 3) Station.

    It is understood that both systems will operate at 400kV and connect to Oman's national electricity transmission grid.

    The deal is part of a package of economic and investment agreements signed by OIA with Chinese institutions and companies during the Oman-China conference on 2 November. OIA put the combined value of the bess projects at approximately RO384.5m ($1bn).

    The agreement comes as Oman advances plans to expand its renewable energy capacity and strengthen the electricity transmission network.

    Nama Power & Water Procurement Company is also procuring a separate 950MW standalone bess programme comprising five facilities in the sultanate, as MEED exclusively reported.

    The wider package of agreements, signed during Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq's state visit to China, covers sectors including renewable energy, mining, logistics, digital transformation and space technology.

    In the wind energy sector, Oman's O-Green and Shanghai Electric Wind Power signed a strategic partnership to establish a joint research and development centre and wind turbine testing facility at the Mawarid turbine factory in Duqm.

    The partnership will focus on adapting turbine technologies to Gulf climate conditions, supporting local manufacturing and developing green ammonia projects in Oman.

    The partnership is valued at RO3.85m-RO7.69m ($10m-$20m). It also identifies potential future contracts exceeding $1bn, alongside green ammonia projects and initial investment commitments in Oman exceeding $200m.

    In solar, OIA signed a preliminary term sheet with Chinese firms PCG Power and Hoymiles for a partnership valued at RO38.45m ($100m).

    The partnership aims to develop solar energy projects in Oman and establish a solar inverter manufacturing facility serving markets in the Middle East and North Africa.

    It is also intended to support the localisation of solar-related industries, expand domestic production and develop export markets.

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    Mark Dowdall
  • Consultants bid for Roshn’s north Riyadh scheme Administrator

    3 November 2026

     

    Saudi gigaproject developer Roshn Group has received proposals from lead design consultants for its planned flagship development in north Riyadh.

    Consultants submitted proposals on 1 November for detailed design, tender documentation and construction documents for the project’s first plot.

    The planned development covers 13.7 square kilometres and will be a residential-led mixed-use scheme containing retail, office, hospitality, education and civic facilities.

    The consultancy scope for plot one includes infrastructure, utilities, public-realm works and the site adaptation of Roshn’s residential prototypes. It has been divided into two work packages.

    The first package covers phases A, B and E, which cover about 7.8 million square metres (sq m) and will include 17,000 units.

    The second package covers phases C and D, covering about 4.7 million sq m and with more than 15,000 units.

    The site is bordered by the Expo 2030 site, King Abdulaziz Park, the Sports Innovation Lab Zone and National Housing Company’s Khozam development.

    Transport connectivity is a key element of the masterplan. Two metro stations are planned, including a station at the interchange between the existing Line 4 and planned Line 7, and a dedicated Line 7 station. The development could also be served by the planned Qiddiya high-speed rail link and a potential diversion of King Salman Road.

    The scheme will add to Roshn’s existing development pipeline in Riyadh, which includes the multi-phase Sedra community. The developer is expanding its focus from single-family housing to larger mixed-use districts under its Roshn 3.0 strategy.

    Last month, Roshn signed a preliminary agreement with TMG Saudi, the local subsidiary of Egypt’s Talaat Moustafa Group, to establish a joint venture to explore a separate mixed-use project in Riyadh.

    TMG Saudi will hold a 51% stake in the proposed joint venture and Roshn will hold the remaining 49%. The companies said they will undertake detailed masterplanning and prepare a business case for the project, which preliminary studies indicate could include more than 55,000 residential units.

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    Yasir Iqbal
  • Adnoc awards contract for Ruwais Diyab unconventional gas Administrator

    3 November 2026

     

    Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc) has taken the final investment decision (FID) for the Ruwais Diyab unconventional gas development in Abu Dhabi.

    The project will deliver 345 million standard cubic feet a day (scf/d) of raw gas from 2029 over a 25-year period, with the potential to reach up to 1 billion scf/d in the future.

    Gas will be processed on site and connected to the UAE’s gas network through new pipeline infrastructure, “strengthening domestic supply, supporting the nation’s economic and industrial growth as well as Adnoc’s liquefied natural gas export ambitions”, the Abu Dhabi energy giant said when announcing FID on the project at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (Adipec) 2026.

    According to sources, Adnoc has awarded the design, build and operate (DBO) contract for the Ruwais Diyab unconventional gas development to China-based Jereh Group.

    A formal kick-off meeting between Adnoc and Jereh is expected to take place later in November, sources told MEED.

    The DBO contract awarded by Adnoc to Jereh is understood to cover the second phase of the Ruwais Diyab unconventional gas development. The tendering exercise for the project started last year.

    “The development [of Ruwais Diyab] follows a disciplined programme of technical studies, field testing and subsurface analysis, delivered by Adnoc Onshore under a DBO model, to reduce development risk,” Adnoc said in its statement on 2 November.

    “It brings together advanced subsurface expertise, artificial intelligence-enabled drilling and completion technologies and integrated project delivery capabilities to support the efficient and responsible development of domestic gas resources,” it added.

    The UAE holds the seventh-largest gas reserves in the world, with 298 trillion standard cubic feet (scf) of conventional gas reserves and 160 trillion scf of unconventional gas resources.

    Adnoc holds the majority 60% stake in the Ruwais Diyab concession, the majority of which is situated onshore, while France’s TotalEnergies holds the other 40% interest.

    The agreement to explore, appraise and develop the area’s unconventional gas resources was signed by Adnoc and TotalEnergies in November 2018. The partners announced first gas output at the concession, presumably on a pilot basis, two years later.

    Adnoc has set a target of producing 1 billion scf/d of gas from the Ruwais Diyab concession by 2030, in line with its target to achieve self-sufficiency in overall gas production by the end of this decade.

    “Ruwais Diyab’s additional unconventional gas supply will strengthen Adnoc’s gas value chain, including Adnoc Gas’s ability to meet rising domestic and international customer demand,” Adnoc said in its 2 November statement.

    “Ruwais Diyab advances Adnoc’s ambition to establish a scalable unconventional gas business and create a platform for future growth,” the company added.

    Ruwais Diyab first phase

    Adnoc awarded the contract for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) on the first phase of the unconventional gas development programme to local contractor Astra Engineering & Construction in early 2025, according to regional project tracker MEED Projects.

    The first phase aims to achieve a gas output level of 100 million scf/d. The main structures to be built in the first phase include a central processing facility, two well pads, interconnecting well fluid pipelines, gas export pipelines and tie-in stations.

    The EPC contractor will be required to provide services such as surveying, design, engineering, procurement, expediting, transportation, fabrication, construction, testing, installation, pre-commissioning, commissioning, site performance testing, operation and maintenance of all units.

    The duration of the EPC works is understood to be 20 months, with the contractor also responsible for operating and maintaining the phase one facilities for 15 years.

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    Indrajit Sen
  • Sultan Al-Jaber appeals for global energy security reset Administrator

    2 November 2026

    The global energy industry must fundamentally rethink how it builds, protects and delivers secure energy, following a year of unprecedented disruption that has exposed critical vulnerabilities in international supply chains, Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber, the UAE’s Industry & Advanced Technology Minister and managing director and group CEO of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc Group) has said.

    Delivering the opening address at the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition and Conference (Adipec) 2026 on 2 November, Al-Jaber said preparedness is essential to navigating an increasingly uncertain global landscape.

    “For decades, energy security was a question for specialists. It was debated in rooms like this, by people like us, in a language that few needed to learn. This year, every family, every farmer, every industry and every business owner is asking about it, and our collective job is to find the answers.”

    Noting that it is not possible to control every situation and remove every risk, Al-Jaber said: “The choices we make today will determine the energy landscape a decade from now. Let’s apply the lessons we have learnt. Let’s build capacity and everything that supports it. Let’s forge partnerships that hold when it matters. And if you want a partner you can count on, you are in the right room, in the right city, in the right country. Because when it counts the most, you can count on the UAE.”

    Setting out the case for a more resilient energy system, Al-Jaber said that since the disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, nearly 1 billion barrels of crude have been drained from inventories. He noted that in some markets, stocks of diesel are at their lowest seasonal level in 35 years, while others are facing a supply gap for liquefied natural gas (LNG) of 600 billion cubic feet. “Simply put, the world has eroded its supply buffers,” Al-Jaber said.

    “But supply is only half the story. The other half is delivery. Before the disruption, logistics were less than 5% of the cost of a barrel. Today, they are more than 30%. In short, energy security is not only measured at the point of production. It is now also measured at the point of delivery.”

    Mitigation steps

    Al-Jaber outlined five steps the energy industry can take to reduce the impact of future shocks. “First, accessible supply. We need expanded strategic storage, larger stockpiles of products and flexible refining capacity closer to consumer markets.

    “Second, routes to market. Supply only counts when it arrives. Infrastructure must be built before it is needed and enabled by advanced logistics.

    “Third, operational intelligence. Moving from automated operations to intelligent energy systems that anticipate risk, optimise performance and drive down the cost of every barrel.

    “Fourth, capital follows confidence. Policy must create it, finance must accelerate it and insurance must keep trade moving.

    “Fifth, which is in my view the most important, is people. Because behind every barrel that arrives is a person who made sure it did. Systems don’t carry responsibility, people do.”

    Photo credit: Adipec via LinkedIn

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    Indrajit Sen
  • Contractors compete for Riyadh airport Terminal 6 work Administrator

    2 November 2026

     

    Contractors are preparing bids for the main construction contract for Terminal 6 at King Salman International airport (KSIA) in Riyadh.

    MEED understands that the consortiums have been given until 30 December to submit their proposals.

    The participating consortiums are:

    • Al-Gihaz Holding / TAV Construction / Webuild (local/Turkiye/Italy)
    • Modern Building Leaders / Powerchina / Metallurgical Corporation of China (loca/China/China)
    • UCC Holding / Consolidated Contractors Company (Qatar/Greece)

    Last month, MEED exclusively reported that contractor teams have completed the early contractor involvement phase of the project.

    Under the completed phase, the shortlisted teams submitted detailed construction methodologies and technical design proposals.

    King Salman International Airport Development Company (KSIADC) is a subsidiary of Saudi sovereign wealth vehicle the Public Investment Fund.

    Terminal 6 is planned to boost the airport’s annual capacity by 40 million passengers. KSIADC aims to complete the terminal ahead of Expo 2030 Riyadh.

    In May 2025, MEED reported that US-based Bechtel had been appointed as delivery partner for the passenger terminals at KSIA.

    UK-based Foster + Partners designed the masterplan, including the terminals, six parallel runways and a multi-asset real estate district.

    US-based engineering firm Jacobs is providing specialist consultancy services for the masterplan and runway design, while UK-headquartered Mace is acting as delivery partner for the broader development. Local firm Nera secured the airspace design consultancy contract.

    The KSIA project covers about 57 square kilometres (sq km) and incorporates the existing terminals at King Khalid International airport. The scheme will feature 12 sq km of airport support facilities, residential and recreational zones, retail assets and logistics parks.

    The development is targeted to handle up to 120 million passengers a year by 2030 and 185 million passengers by 2050, in addition to an annual cargo throughput of 3.5 million tonnes by 2050.

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    Yasir Iqbal
  • Contractors prepare bids for Morocco power line Administrator

    2 November 2026

     

    Contractors are preparing bids for a 160-kilometre (km), 400kV transmission line linking Guercif and Fes East in Morocco, following a site visit on 1 October.

    The project is being developed by the Office National de l'Electricite et de l'Eau Potable (Onee) to connect the Saka solar photovoltaic power plant to the national electricity grid.

    According to sources, at least eight contractors attended the site visit last month, including:

    • Butec (Lebanon)
    • CEEC Northeast Electric No.2 (China)
    • Cegelec (France)
    • EPME Electric (Morocco)
    • Hideleco (Egypt)
    • Kec International (India)
    • PowerChina (China)
    • Transrail (India)

    The project comprises two lots. The first involves a 90km transmission line between Guercif and Taza, while the second covers a 70km section between Taza and Fes East.

    The scope of work includes the construction of tower foundations, installation of transmission supports and conductors, and associated high-voltage equipment. It also includes optical fibre cables for communications and monitoring, access roads and other supporting infrastructure.

    The tender was issued in September with bids originally due by 21 October. The deadline has now been extended to 25 November.

    The project is part of a wider programme by Onee to expand Morocco's electricity transmission network and accommodate additional renewable energy capacity.

    In June, the utility commissioned a 274km, 400kV transmission line linking Chemaia and Mediouna, near Casablanca.

    Onee plans to expand its high- and extra-high-voltage transmission network from more than 30,700km to 37,000km by 2030.

    In August, it approved a $26.4bn investment programme for the 2026-30 period, covering electricity and drinking water infrastructure.

    The programme has allocated about $21.9bn to electricity projects and $4.5bn to drinking water infrastructure, with about 72% of the investment to be financed by the private sector, according to Onee.

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    Mark Dowdall
  • Adnoc Onshore allows more time for Bab gas cap well tie-in bids Administrator

    2 November 2026

     

    The onshore business of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc Onshore) has allowed contractors more time to prepare proposals for a project to tie in gas-producing and injection wells at the gas cap reservoirs of Abu Dhabi’s onshore Bab field.

    The well tie-in scope, estimated to be worth more than $800m, forms part of Adnoc Group’s wider integrated Bab gas cap development programme.

    The overall programme is being led and overseen by Adnoc Gas, another Adnoc Group subsidiary. Its central element is the construction of gas-processing infrastructure to handle incremental gas output expected from developing the Bab gas caps.

    Adnoc Onshore issued the main tender for engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) works on the project in late September, MEED previously reported.

    Contractors have been given until 16 November to submit technical bids for the project, according to sources. The previous deadline was 29 October.

    MEED previously reported that Adnoc Onshore issued an expressions of interest (EoI) notice for the Bab gas production and injector well tie-in project on 13 May, with contractors submitting responses by 20 May.

    The scope of work on the project covers the following:

    • Tie-in of 99 new wells from Bab gas cap reservoirs KH-2, SH-1 and LK-1 (60 gas producers and 39 gas injectors);
    • Installation of well gathering structures: 10 gas pads, six well bays and three virtual pads;
    • Installation of a gas gathering network and a gas injection network;
    • Rerouting of the LK-3 production from the existing trunkline in Remote Manifold Station 3 (RMS-3) to the project’s production trunkline, Bab Gas TL-2;
    • Demolition of the existing 10-inch trunkline from RMS-3 to onshore gas development phase one.

    In the EoI document, Adnoc Onshore said it intends to award the EPC contract in the last quarter of the year, with a 45-month duration of works.

    Bab gas cap project infrastructure

    As part of its 2030 upstream production increase goals, Adnoc Group is working to extract gas from four underdeveloped gas cap reservoirs at the Bab onshore field development – Thammama A, Thammama B, Thammama F and Thammama H.

    While the Thammama A, B and H reservoirs are estimated to collectively produce 1.45 billion cubic feet a day (cf/d) of gas, output from the Thammama F gas cap is expected to be at a rate of 396 million cf/d.

    Existing trains at the Habshan processing complex in Abu Dhabi will be unable to handle the new gas volumes. Therefore, Adnoc Gas is required to build new facilities to process an additional volume of up to 1.85 billion cf/d of raw gas.

    Adnoc Gas is planning to build a gas processing plant in the Bab area, about 170 kilometres from Abu Dhabi, along with associated pipeline networks and other ancillary units, as part of the broader Bab gas cap development project. It has divided the EPC scope of work on the project into four packages:

    • EPC package 1 – Main Bab gas cap plant
    • EPC package 2 – Early civil works
    • EPC package 3 – Pipelines
    • EPC package 4 – Non-process area works

    Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange-listed Adnoc Gas issued the tender for the main Bab gas cap plant on 25 June and set an initial deadline of 17 July for contractors to submit technical bids. The company then extended the technical bid submission deadline by four months, until 16 November, MEED previously reported.

    Following a reshuffle of the consortiums gearing up to bid for the main Bab gas plant EPC package, estimated to be worth more than $6bn, the following teams have formed to compete in the main contract tendering round:

    • Larsen & Toubro Energy Hydrocarbon (India) + Petrofac Emirates (UAE)
    • Technip Energies (France) + JGC Corporation (Japan) + Sinopec (China)
    • Tecnimont (Italy) + China Petroleum Engineering and Construction Corporation (CPECC)

    The other three packages of the Bab gas cap project are also in the main contract tendering stages.

    Prior to issuing the EoIs for the project packages, Adnoc Gas completed an early engagement process with contractors in September and October last year, as MEED previously reported.

    In December last year, Adnoc Gas awarded the front-end engineering and design (feed) works for the development project  to Australia-based consultancy Worley. The feed contract has a duration of more than 1.2 million man-hours, making it the largest-ever engineering job awarded by Adnoc Gas.

    Bab Gas Cap concession

    In addition to Adnoc Gas overseeing the main EPC tendering exercise for the gas processing plant, Abu Dhabi’s Supreme Council for Financial and Economic Affairs (SCFEA) awarded concession agreements in June for the development and production of the Bab gas cap reserve.

    Adnoc will hold the majority 60% participating interest in the concession. The remaining stakes will be held by France’s TotalEnergies (10%), the UK’s BP (10%), China National Petroleum Corporation International (8%), Japan Oil Development Company Onshore (5%), China ZhenHua Oil (4%) and Korea GS E&P (3%).

    According to the SCFEA, the Bab gas cap development and production concession represents the largest gas cap development project of its kind globally, the Abu Dhabi Media Office said in a report.

    A gas cap refers to the free natural gas that sits above an underlying oil reservoir – in this case, the Bab onshore oil field in Abu Dhabi.

    The project, operated by Adnoc Onshore, is expected to have a production capacity of approximately 1.5 billion cf/d of natural gas, equivalent to about 15% of Adnoc Gas’ total operational gas processing capacity.

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    Indrajit Sen
  • Gulf ministers insist Hormuz is still essential Administrator

    2 November 2026

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    Senior Gulf officials have rejected suggestions that new pipelines and rail links will allow the region to do without the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that the waterway will remain essential to the GCC and the global economy.

    Speaking at the Gateway Gulf investment forum in Manama on 1 November, GCC secretary-general Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi said keeping the strait open is the responsibility of the international community, not of any one country or group of partners. "We hear some voices that maybe we should seek alternatives to Hormuz," he said. "Fine, we will get the pipelines. We will get the GCC railway. But that doesn't mean Hormuz is nobody's business."

    Albudaiwi called for the strait to remain open in line with international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

    Shipping through the strait has been severely restricted since the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran on 28 February and Iran retaliated with attacks on GCC states and commercial vessels.

    Bahrain's Finance & National Economy Minister, Sheikh Salman Bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa, said building redundancy makes sense, but treating the strait as dispensable does not. He said the waterway carries 30% of global liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports, 20% of aluminium exports and 30% of fertiliser exports. "Any thinking about the alternative of Hormuz, as in we won't need it, is illogical, because we will need it for the world economy," he said.

    UAE Economy & Tourism Minister Abdulla Bin Touq Al-Marri said that "Hormuz matters, and Hormuz will keep mattering", adding that an economy dependent on a single trade route is exposed if that route closes.

    Sheikh Salman said the crisis has compressed years of GCC customs negotiations into weeks. During the conflict, containers cleared at Jeddah with final destinations in Bahrain or Kuwait moved on without further checks, and the same applied to cargo routed through Salalah and Fujairah, he said. GCC ministers have since agreed to make these emergency measures permanent.

    He also cited Gulf Air operating out of Saudi airports for more than 40 days without a written agreement, and a $5bn swap between the UAE and Bahraini central banks to stabilise currencies.

    Bin Touq said the bloc should use 2027 and 2028 to push through reforms, including removing remaining customs barriers between member states.

    Albudaiwi said GCC leaders meeting in Jeddah on 28 April had tasked the secretariat with advancing water connectivity, expanding the GCC electricity grid, planning new logistics infrastructure including ports, accelerating the GCC railway and enhancing oil and gas pipeline links.

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    Colin Foreman
  • Bahrain’s Gateway Gulf brings $20bn of deals Administrator

    2 November 2026

    More than 110 announcements worth over $20bn will be made at the Gateway Gulf Investment Forum in Bahrain, according to the country's finance minister.

    "Over the next two days at Gateway Gulf, more than 110 announcements worth over $20bn will be made," Sheikh Salman Bin Khalifa Al-Khalifa, Finance & National Economy Minister, said at the opening of the forum's fourth edition on 1 November in Bahrain.

    He said the announcements will cover new partnerships, investments, projects and jobs. Sheikh Salman addressed an audience that included Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Prince Salman Bin Hamad Al-Khalifa.

    The minister said the region's economies have been "tested as never before" since the previous edition of the forum a year earlier.

    "In the face of unprecedented attacks, we did not waver," he said. He added that Bahrain has chosen to work more closely with its allies and partners to defend what it has built.

    Sheikh Salman said the Gulf economy has grown to $2.4tn in GDP. Non-oil sectors account for more than 86% of Bahrain's GDP and more than 77% across the Gulf, he said.

    He said Gulf banks hold more than $4tn in assets, while the region's sovereign wealth funds manage more than $5tn of investments. "These numbers describe a region that has chosen to build a more stable, a more prosperous future for its people," he said. "Bahrain is the gateway to that region."

    The minister said Bahrain is focusing on regulation, infrastructure and people to attract investment.

    He said the country has developed a regulatory framework over several decades that is "clear, modern and fast", allowing investors to commit with confidence.

    On infrastructure, he highlighted logistics, connectivity, digital networks and industrial land as areas where Bahrain is building the foundations for businesses to expand. He also named finance, logistics, tourism, manufacturing, technology and telecommunications, and oil and gas as the sectors into which he expects domestic, regional and international capital to flow.

    He said the investments will create jobs for young graduates and support the growth of family businesses.

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    Colin Foreman