Bahrain non-oil exports rise 22% to $896m in April
The value of Bahrain's non-oil imports increased by 20% reaching BD575 million in April 2025 in comparison with BD481 million for same month in 2024.
The top 10 countries for imports recorded 68% of the total value of imports, said Information & eGovernment Authority's (iGA) April 2025 Foreign Trade report.
According to the report, China ranked first for imports to Bahrain, with a total of BD64 million (11%), followed by Australia with BD55 million (10%) and the UAE with BD49 million (9%).
Non-agglomerated iron ores and concentrates recorded as the top product imported to Bahrain with a total value of BD67 million (12%), followed by other aluminum oxide with BD51 million (9%) and jewellery of gold being the third with BD36 million (6%).
EXPORTS
The top 10 countries in exports (National Origin) accounted for 71% of the exports (National Origin) value.
Saudi Arabia ranked first among countries for then non-oil exports (National Origin) with BD81 million (24%). The US was second with BD35 million (10%) and UAE was third with BD32 million (9%).
Unwrought aluminum alloys recorded as the top products exported in April 2025 with BD105 million (31%), followed by agglomerated iron ores and concentrates alloyed with a value of BD54 million (16%) and aluminum wire not alloyed with BD18 million (5%).
The total value of non-oil re-exports decreased by 9% to reach BD71 million during April 2025, compared to BD78 million for same month in 2024. The top 10 countries in re-exports accounted for 86% of the re-exported value. The UAE ranked first with BD30 million (42%) followed by Saudi Arabia with BD18 million (25%) and Luxemburg with BD5 million (7%).
As per the report, turbo-jets was the top product re-exported from Bahrain with a value of BD7.2 million (10.1%), followed by four-wheel drive BD7 million (9.9%), and gold ingots came third with BD6 million (8%).
As for the trade balance, which represents the difference between exports and imports, Bahrain recorded a deficit of BD166 million in April 2025 compared to a deficit of BD126 million in April 2024. - TradeArabia News Service
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Insider
4 days ago
- Gulf Insider
Action Labs CEO Shaikha AlSeddiqi: Helping Businesses Thrive
At Action Labs, Co-Founder and CEO, Shaikha AlSeddiqi, and her team are all about setting the trend rather than following it. The Bahrain-based Growth Consultancy is leading the charge with AI, insight, and agility to transform business across key industries. Shaikha tells us more. Now in its third edition, Business Leaders in the Middle East brings together sharp insights from across the region. These aren't mere interviews; they're windows into how leadership is evolving in a world shaped by rapid digital transformation. Technology touches nearly every industry now, and these leaders show us how to navigate change with purpose. Before 2021, we were running a creative agency. But when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we noticed a clear shift. More CEOs and board members started approaching us not for running campaigns, but for strategic and technical guidance. We had prior experience running a tech company so, we were able to blend that technical know-how with our creative capabilities. It became clear that there was a real need for a partner who could speak both languages, creative and technical, with a genuine interest in helping businesses grow. That's when the transition to a consultancy started to make sense. Over the past two years, we've reached several significant milestones. We've won multiple global awards, but what matters more is the impact we've had on our clients. We've helped transform several FinTech brands into market leaders, achieving million-dollar growth in less than a year; that, to us, is our biggest accomplishment.T oday, we work with some of the largest financial institutions in Bahrain and across the region. We've also launched our own FinTech podcast, Swalef Tech, which is now gearing up for its second season with a major global sponsor on board. On the tech front, we're making serious investments in AI. Our teamis incredibly passionate about it. Infact, our co-founder recently launched a regional think tank dedicated to exploring how AI can address social and economic challenges in the Gulf. It's something we're very proud of, and it reflects our long-term vision to stay ahead and create meaningful, lasting impact. One of the toughest challenges we faced was scaling. While it all looked exciting from the outside, success came with a lot of pressure behind the scenes. We found ourselves working non-stop, often competing with global firms. There were times it felt like we were living at the office. What helped us get through it was our core team. We've been together for years and have built a strong foundation of trust and support. That kind of camaraderie makes a huge difference when you're facing tough times. It helped us maintain our culture and keep going. The biggest takeaway for us was simple but powerful: if you're not evolving and innovating from within, someone else will. That mindset fuels everything we do. We constantly ask ourselves: how do we improve? How do we create more impact? How do we stay relevant and efficient? Staying agile has always helped us stay ahead. Resistance to change is human nature. People naturally cling to what they're familiar with. That said, most of our clients today are surprisingly open to innovation especially given how quickly technology is evolving. We work closely with them every step of the way, helping them adopt to new tools, platforms, and shifting mindsets. We see ourselves as one team with our clients, growing together. Our approach to data and growth and it creates a faster, more responsive feedback loop, and that's rare. AI and digital transformation are nolonger buzzwords. They're redefining how value is created, delivered, and measured. We always say that software is just software; it's all about how you use it. Many companies today are underestimating just how fast AI is moving. Some global organisations already complete 50 percent of their operations using AI, replacing human roles in the process. We're very hands-on with the latest public and beta-stage technology – both software and hardware. For us, AI isn't just a trend; it's a tool we're actively integrating into our work. We're making sure both our business model and our team are future-ready. It's a top priority for us and for our clients. We were early adopters of platforms like TikTok and have worked directly with their team for years. What surprised us was how slow some regional brands were to adapt. Many waited too long; even when the data was right there. There's still a gap in understanding how consumer behaviour has evolved. Take second-screen behaviour; it's often seen as a challenge, especially for long-form content. But it actually reveals what today's consumers are looking for: speed, ease, and personalisation. Attention spans have collapsed. If you thought you had ten seconds, now you've got two. That impacts everything: your messaging, creative execution, and platform strategy. Hyper-personalisation is no longer optional. It's expected. So we've made it a priority for all our clients, helping them turn that shift into a powerful growth opportunity. More Insights
Daily Tribune
6 days ago
- Daily Tribune
US-China Trade Talks Resume in Sweden Amid Tariff Deadline Pressure
Senior officials from the United States and China are meeting in Stockholm this week to restart trade negotiations, with hopes of extending reduced tariffs and avoiding a new wave of economic strain as a key deadline approaches. The talks, taking place over two days in the Swedish capital, bring together US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. Both sides are under pressure to find common ground before the current truce on tariffs expires on August 12. This round of dialogue comes at a critical time for President Donald Trump's trade policy, with countries like Brazil and India also racing to secure trade deals with Washington before August 1. If no agreements are reached, these countries risk seeing US tariffs on their exports jump from the current 10% to as high as 50%. The US has already implemented some of the steepest import duties since the 1930s, according to data from The Budget Lab at Yale University. Now, trading partners are scrambling to avoid further economic fallout. In a statement on Monday, China's Foreign Ministry expressed hope that the meetings would be conducted in a spirit of 'mutual respect and reciprocity.' Spokesman Guo Jiakun emphasized the importance of reducing misunderstandings and strengthening cooperation to ensure stable and healthy US-China relations. Back in April, both Washington and Beijing had imposed tariffs on each other's goods at triple-digit levels. A temporary truce in May, agreed upon during talks in Geneva, brought US tariffs down to 30% and China's to 10%. But with that agreement nearing its expiration, the pressure is back on. Since the Geneva truce, both sides have held follow-up talks in London to resolve lingering issues. The meetings in Sweden are now seen as a pivotal opportunity to prevent a return to more aggressive trade measures. The world's two largest economies will be closely watched this week—not just by markets, but by nations whose economic futures may be shaped by the outcome.
Gulf Insider
6 days ago
- Gulf Insider
Amriya Group's Khalid Al Rumaihi: Building Experiences
Khalid Al Rumaihi is the Executive Chairman of Amriya Group, a Bahrain-based hospitality operator that introduced iconic F&B names such as Masso, The Orangery, and Lyra to the island. In this interview, Al Rumaihi talks to us about mastering the art of building original dining concepts that rival global names, navigating challenges and how entertainment, data, and talent are shaping the future of hospitality. Now in its third edition, Business Leaders in the Middle East brings together sharp insights from across the region. These aren't mere interviews; they're windows into how leadership is evolving in a world shaped by rapid digital transformation. Technology touches nearly every industry now, and these leaders show us how to navigate change with purpose. Right from the outset, our aim at Amriya Group was to create unique hospitality and dining experiences that rival those we encounter in Europe when travelling. Generic brands dominated hotels in the country, and restaurants lacked the ambience, chefs, and service levels found abroad. We saw a gap that could be filled – and that was the inspiration behind the Palmyard Hotel. Building on that same vision, we set out to create F&B concepts that reflected the same commitment to quality, originality, and atmosphere. This led to the birth of Masso, the Orangery, Circa, and more recently, Lyra. Our F&B brands have exceptional food at their core – nothing short of what you'd find in London or elsewhere – and we aim to hire the best chefs and managers to deliver first-class experiences to our guests. Our vision is to take these independent, home-grown Bahraini brands abroad and prove that Bahrain can be a creator and exporter of world-class concepts, not just a consumer of them. We've had an amazing journey since COVID. We were very proud to see Masso recognised as one of the top 50 restaurants by 50 Best in MENA in 2023 – one of only three restaurants in Bahrain to make the list that year. We opened our third branch of Orangery in Liwan in 2023, and in 2024, we launched our newest Greek-Mediterranean brand, Lyra, at Vida Hotel in Marassi. With Lyra, we hand-picked Chef Ilias (a European-trained Greek chef) to lead the kitchen team, and collaborated with a London-based designer to create a stunning venue. We believe Lyra has global potential – much like Masso and Orangery – and it truly has to be experienced to understand how proud we are of this latest addition to our portfolio of brands. We take great pride in building these home-grown concepts, which we believe can compete with the best global F&B brands entering the country. COVID was a shock to the hospitality industry globally. For nearly 12 months, hotels and restaurants had hardly any customers. Although Bahrain remained open and typically relies on visitors from Saudi Arabia, the absence of international travellers deeply affected the sector. It was a critical period for hospitality, and many restaurants didn't were very fortunate in Bahrain to have the support of the government for businesses, as well as the decision not to impose a full lockdown like many other countries. At Amriya, we recognised the situation was only temporary – and that taking care of our team was essential if we were to return stronger when the world reopened. Rather than sending staff back home, we ensured they had food and accommodation, even during periods when they weren't working. Our people are at the heart of everything we do, and we knew they'd be instrumental in our recovery once guests started coming back. This downtime also became an opportunity to reinvent. Menus at Masso and the Orangery were thoughtfully reimagined – with weeks spent developing and testing new dishes to delight returning customers. By staying true to our principles and supporting our people, we emerged from COVID stronger than ever. Communication is key. You have to explain to your team why you're making changes and what purpose they need to share the vision of where you're going and how those changes will help you get there. Organisational change is often difficult, and people don't always respond well, especially to new reporting lines. But I've found that in these moments, two things matter most: first, you need to over-communicate so people clearly understand what you're trying to achieve; and second, you need to hire great people who genuinely make a difference to how you operate. I believe it's the second part that's critical. Organisational change tends to be problematic when you hire the wrong people. But when you hire the right ones, you gain far more acceptance and belief in both the changes and the direction you're heading. That's why I take recruitment very seriously. I consider it one of my main responsibilities as a leader to find and recruit the best people for the organisation. That's a difficult question to answer, especially because there are many truly world-class F&B operators in the region. I'd rephrase it by saying what we do exceptionally well – and what we share with some of the operators I admire most – it's our ability to create independent brands from scratch that genuinely rival global industry leaders. We approach the creative process with deep intention, spending at least 18 to 24 months before opening avenue. Every detail is considered – from the menu development in close collaboration with the chef, to the design and layout, branding, uniforms, and overall guest experience. We collaborate with top-tier designers and consultants to ensure each concept stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the world's best. Very few operators take that time, or have the capability to build something original repeatedly. We started with Masso and asked ourselves: can we do this again? And Orangery was the result. Today, we believe Lyra is our third creation that will be just as successful as the first two. There are operators in the region I deeply admire for sharing our values – particularly those with a family-business mindset and an independent spirit. It would certainly be easier to franchise a global concept. But we take pride in building something from the ground up, and proving that Bahraini-born brands can be just as successful as franchise models. And to us, this is just the beginning. We hire employees who are as passionate as we are about refining each brand and realising the dream of seeing them thrive in some of the world's largest cities. I'm still exploring how AI could be relevant to our industry. But we're starting by ensuring we digitise as much of the data we collect as possible, so we can make smarter decisions. I believe AI will help F&B brands become significantly more efficient in areas like menu engineering, table bookings and seating management, targeted marketing, food cost control, and more. We've now almost fully digitised all the key information needed to mine data effectively and use it to enhance our guest experience while managing the business more efficiently. Finding the right tools and resources to analyse that data and generate meaningful recommendations is something I'm actively exploring. If we can't find off-the-shelf AI solutions that suit our needs, we may consider developing our tools. But I do not doubt that AI will positively impact our business. Probably the most glaring trend I've noticed is the shift away from formal dining experiences, like the Michelin-starred, 12-course tasting menus, and the growing desire for a more casual, sensory-driven experience. Nightclubs are seemingly fading away. Today, people want to eat and be entertained. They're looking for great food, good music (often live), and a space where they can socialise. That's why we're seeing the rise of private clubs where guests can dine and then stay on for live music or entertainment without leaving the venue. The growing number of small speakeasy-style spaces within restaurants also reflects this trend. In many ways, restaurants have become the new nightclubs. So, it's now essential to deliver not just great food, but a full entertainment experience. That's why DJs are increasingly present in restaurants. But it would be a mistake to think entertainment alone is enough. No matter how much a guest enjoys the ambience, what truly keeps them coming back is an exceptional dish or two that they crave to experience again. While trends may shift, one thing remains constant: successful restaurants must consistently deliver an outstanding food and service experience. Without that, no amount of entertainment will keep guests returning. More Insights
