Kamal bin Ahmed, Minister of Transportation and acting chief executive of the Bahrain Economic Development Board, says that $22 billion worth of infrastructure projects are currently planned in the Kingdom, and will cover various sectors.

The projects include the Bahrain International Airport modernization project, investment projects in Durrat Al Bahrain, expansion of the Aluminium Bahrain (ALBA) smelter and the modernization project being carried out by Bahrain Petroleum Co. (Bapco), among other projects. Government organizations, and Mumtalakat Holding Co. in particular, will implement key projects.

The Bahrain International Airport modernization project is currently underway and will increase the airport’s capacity from 9 million to more than 14 million passengers.

Alongside improvements to its transport infrastructure, the government is also investing in other areas, including housing and its accompanying infrastructure projects. Bahrain aims to create 40,000 new housing units, along with investment in education facilities to support this growth.
The UNCTAD World Investment Report 2014 says that total foreign direct investment into Bahrain in 2013 was $989 million, an increase of 11% compared with 2012. That outpaces the global average growth rate of 9%.