Bahrain will become next month the first GCC state to give foreign workers the same employment rights as its own citizens.
Under the new law, which takes effect on Aug 1, expatriates will have the freedom to move between jobs and to leave employment without the fear of arrest or deportation.
"We already have the best trained workforce in the Gulf, but by levelling the playing field, and providing incentives to companies to hire Bahrainis, our aim is to improve our competitive edge," said Sheikh Mohammed bin Isa al Khalifa, the chief executive of the country's Economic Development Board (EDB).
As local oil resources have dwindled in recent years, the island's rulers have worked hard to diversify the local economy. Heavy industry and manufacturing have grown steadily, while financial services now provide 27 per cent of GDP.
The EDB has pushed ahead with its reform agenda in recent months after the publication of its Vision 2030 charter in October. While many countries have issued similar blueprints, Bahrain's programme is backed by a rolling six-year National Economic Strategy that provides firm interim targets.
"Essentially, it is a set of aspirations for Bahrain, to rally people around the same plan and ensure we are working toward the same goals," said Sheikh Mohammed. "We need a civil service where the left hand knows what the right hand is doing."
The EDB, chaired by Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the crown prince, was set up in 2000 to encourage foreign direct investment in Bahrain. It is now the chief instrument of economic reform in the kingdom.
One hallmark of these reforms is the creation of semi-autonomous government bodies. In the case of the labour market, an independent regulator and a -labour fund, known as Tamkeen, have been hived off the Ministry of Labour. Tamkeen has funnelled the proceeds of a monthly tax of 10 Bahraini dinars (Dh97.44) on foreign workers into training Bahrainis for priority industries such as banking, aviation and health care.
A sovereign wealth fund, Mumtalakat, was also created in 2006 to manage government assets. Its portfolio includes Gulf Air, Alba, an aluminium producer, the telecommunications operator Batelco and a 30 per cent stake in the McLaren Formula One racing team.
"What distinguishes us from other sovereign wealth funds in the Gulf is our transparency and the way we operate," said Talal al Zain, the chief executive of the fund. "Yes we are 100 per cent owned by the government, but we operate like a private sector company. Our board members and management are all from the private sector."
Where many investment boards have cut marketing budgets in the past year, the EDB has deliberately targeted private investors, advertising its "Business Friendly" logo on London taxis and in international titles such as The Economist.
Last year, the country was ranked 18th for ease of doing business by the World Bank. Bahrain also rose nine points in the UN's human development index last year, to 33 of 179.
The government budget is still heavily dependent on oil revenues, however, while the average private-sector salary is still less than 300 dinars a month, and shortages of housing and jobs have stoked unrest among the country's poorer communities.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
'Nope'
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
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Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
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The years Ramadan fell in May
The specs
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Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm
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Company Fact Box
Company name/date started: Abwaab Technologies / September 2019
Founders: Hamdi Tabbaa, co-founder and CEO. Hussein Alsarabi, co-founder and CTO
Based: Amman, Jordan
Sector: Education Technology
Size (employees/revenue): Total team size: 65. Full-time employees: 25. Revenue undisclosed
Stage: early-stage startup
Investors: Adam Tech Ventures, Endure Capital, Equitrust, the World Bank-backed Innovative Startups SMEs Fund, a London investment fund, a number of former and current executives from Uber and Netflix, among others.
Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
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Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5