The Bahrain Economic Development Board (EDB) is the kingdom’s principal investment promotion and economic strategy agency. Chaired by the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, the EDB is responsible for attracting foreign direct investment, promoting Bahrain as a business destination, and coordinating the strategic economic reform agenda including the Economic Vision 2030.
Establishment
The EDB was established in 2000 as a high-level body reporting directly to Bahrain’s leadership. It was the EDB that led the formulation and publication of the Bahrain Economic Vision 2030 in 2008, working with McKinsey and Company to develop the strategy document. This positioning gives the EDB both a promotional and a policy coordination function — it attracts investment while also shaping the economic environment into which that investment flows.
Investment Promotion
The EDB actively markets Bahrain to international investors across priority sectors including financial services, manufacturing, logistics, technology, tourism, and healthcare. Its value proposition centres on Bahrain’s regulatory openness, cost competitiveness relative to other Gulf markets, skilled workforce availability, and strategic location bridging the Saudi Arabian market via the King Fahd Causeway.
The EDB maintains offices and representative arrangements in key source markets and provides investor facilitation services including licensing support, introductions to government stakeholders, and post-establishment aftercare.
Sector Development
Beyond investment promotion, the EDB works with government ministries and agencies to develop sector-specific strategies and remove barriers to business. It has been instrumental in initiatives to develop fintech, cloud computing, logistics, and tourism — sectors identified as growth priorities within the Vision 2030 framework.
Economic Vision 2030
The EDB’s defining institutional contribution is the Bahrain Economic Vision 2030 itself. The vision document, subtitled “From Regional Pioneer to Global Contender,” established the strategic framework for Bahrain’s economic transformation across three pillars: a competitive economy, a just society, and a sustainable government. The EDB monitors progress against the vision’s objectives and updates the strategic direction as conditions evolve.
Role in Vision 2030
The EDB is both the architect and a primary implementer of the Bahrain Economic Vision 2030. It translates the vision’s strategic objectives into actionable investment promotion, policy coordination, and sector development initiatives. The EDB’s effectiveness in attracting foreign investment directly determines whether Bahrain can build the diversified, private-sector-led economy that the vision describes.