Manama, October 18 (BNA): The Information and eGovernment Authority announced the launch of a survey targeting Gulf companies and institutions registered and operating in the Kingdom of Bahrain, in line with the efforts made to enhance joint cooperation and achieve sustainable economic integration. among the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. The survey, which will measure the impact of economic decisions taken by the Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council, will cover the period between September and November 2022, and is implemented in cooperation with the GCC Statistical Center.
The poll comes in the wake of the decisions of the Supreme Council of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, and the directives of the Gulf Ministerial Committee to follow up the implementation of the joint Gulf decisions of the Statistical Center of the Cooperation Council States. It is conducted in cooperation with other statistical agencies in the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council and aims to identify the challenges facing Gulf companies and institutions operating in the Kingdom. The poll also seeks to obtain opinions and observations from these companies on the implementation of joint Gulf decisions and unified economic agreements.
Noura Khamis Al-Saadoun, Director of Economic Statistics at the Information and e-Government Authority, said that the Kingdom is committed to implementing all decisions taken by the Supreme Council of the Gulf Cooperation Council towards comprehensive Gulf integration, especially in economic matters. She commended the attention and follow-up given by the senior leadership and the Bahraini government to this sector.
Most importantly, she added, this survey will provide statistical indicators that will support smooth trade flows among the GCC countries, which are expected to increase competitiveness, and ultimately benefit consumers. It will also measure the level of compatibility between the decisions of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the reality of business on the ground, which will attract mutual investments among the Gulf Cooperation Council countries. In addition to increasing job opportunities, enhancing financial liquidity, and supporting joint economic agreements that strengthen the economies of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and encourage their integration.
Al-Saadoun said that the survey provided general indicators related to the number of Gulf companies present in Bahrain and their relative distribution on the basis of their activities. It will also reflect the level of knowledge of these companies with the decisions of the Board and will focus on ways to increase their awareness. The companies provided feedback on many issues, including their views on how easy it is to conduct licensing, registration, opening of new branches, and import and export activities.
Another issue covered was the percentages of taxes, including the benefits and challenges facing investors and companies in the GCC. The third axis revolves around the stock market indicators and the establishment of companies, which reflects the percentage of Gulf institutions that are treated as national entities and the challenges they face when buying or trading shares. As for the fourth axis, it measures the level of real estate ownership, and provides an insight into the percentage of Gulf companies that are allowed to rent or own real estate and land for housing or investment purposes. The fifth topic covers labor and social insurance indicators, and reveals the companies’ opinions about the procedures related to the employees of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries and the extent of the smoothness of social insurance for them. The sixth topic is about the implementation of decisions and their procedures. The percentage of Bahrain’s implementation of the decisions related to the reality of the Gulf common market issued by the Supreme Council of the Cooperation Council.
Al-Saadoun said that the survey sample size was based on the size of the target community and is designed to be stratified, using a random sample, ensuring institutional representation by nationality and economic activity. Civilian researchers conducted field visits to Gulf institutions to collect data. She stressed that the survey is important for decision-making and highlighted the importance of collecting accurate data to support economic integration. The Information and eGovernment Authority will communicate with all partners and stakeholders to reach the target segment of the survey.
The GCC Statistical Center will analyze the field studies conducted in Bahrain, and the Information and eGovernment Authority will publish the results via the Bahrain open data portal data.gov.bh/ar in early 2023.
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