Ernst & Young Bahrain

Bahrain is an archipelago, consisting of 36 islands located in the heart of the Arabian Gulf, lying 32 kilometres (20 miles) off the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia and 29 kilometres (18 miles) north of Qatar. The total area of the country is approximately 700 km2 (270 miles2). The island has a desert climate with summer temperatures rising to above 47° C. During the winter, the temperature drops to 10-15° C with occasional rainfall. The summer is hot and humid and the hot period lasts from late April to the end of September.

Until the great depression of the 1930s, trade and the pearl industry dominated the Bahrain economy. In 1932, Bahrain was the first country in the Arabian Gulf to discover oil. Since then, it has used its oil revenues to develop infrastructure well ahead of its neighbouring Gulf states. It has the fifth highest income per capita in the Middle East, the highest life expectancy in the Gulf and a European rate of literacy.

Oil resources are, however, limited by comparison to other Gulf states and, since the mid 1970s, the government has sought to encourage new investment to diversify the economic base. In this regard, Bahrain has been relatively successful in developing trade, industry and financial markets. Certain alternative industries, such as aluminium, have proved to be extremely successful. In addition, Bahrain is recognised as a major banking and financial centre in the region, with a particular emphasis on investment and Islamic banking activities.

If you or your company is interested in conducting business in Bahrain, we suggest that you download a copy of Doing Business in Bahrain.

Bahrain Office

In 2008, Ernst & Young will celebrate 80 years of delivering quality service in Bahrain. Our Bahrain office has over 400 professionals, including a large proportion of Bahrainis. Our people are committed to helping companies across all industries from emerging growth companies and local entrepreneurial businesses to global powerhouses.

Services offered

Ernst & Young provides its clients with a broad array of services relating to audit and risk, business community training, tax, technology and IT security and transaction advisory services.  Bahrain is home to our Middle East Head Office and is also the headquarters for Ernst & Young’s Global Islamic Financial Services Group.

Industries

The office’s client base includes the region's leading conventional and Islamic banks and financial institutions, majors in the oil and manufacturing sectors, government departments and organisations and leading five star hotels.

Location

The office, in the heart of Manama's business district and only seven kilometres (or a 15 minutes drive) from the Bahrain International Airport, is on the 14th floor of The Tower, part of the Bahrain Commercial Complex (which also includes the Bahrain World Trade Centre)  on the King Faisal Highway.

For further information, please contact Tariq Sadiq, the Bahrain office managing partner.