The Report: Bahrain 2015

The Report: Bahrain 2015

Author: Oxford Business Group

Publisher: Oxford Business Group

Published: 2015-02-27

Total Pages: 229

ISBN-13: 1910068225

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The kingdom rose to prominence as the region’s financial hub in the 1970s and today, despite increasing competition from its neighbours, it is bolstering this position as it leads the way in the Islamic banking segment, hosting the highest concentration of Islamic financial institutions globally. The takaful segment represents one of the fastest growing segments in Bahrain’s insurance sector, itself boasting the highest insurance penetration rate in the GCC. Meanwhile a rising population is driving housing and transport infrastructure in the country with private contractors benefitting as a result. Looking forward, these expansions to rail and air links should boost the kingdom’s tourism offering, with tourism’s contribution to GDP expected to grow significantly over the next 10 years, while elsewhere the projects will drive Bahrain’s role as a regional logistics centre, with the kingdom aiming to position itself as a key entry point to the GCC moving forward.


The Report: Bahrain 2016

The Report: Bahrain 2016

Author: Oxford Business Group

Publisher: Oxford Business Group

Published: 2016-02-18

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 1910068527

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The energy sector still represents the biggest contributor to the kingdom’s GDP, although its share of the economy has been falling as non-oil sectors continue to drive growth. The kingdom’s financial sector represents the second-largest contributor to GDP, accounting for 16.5% in 2014, with Bahrain recognised as a pioneer in Islamic finance, having been the first country in the world to introduce and implement rules specific to Islamic banking in 2001. Manufacturing is the third-largest GDP contributor, at 14.4% of the total in 2014, with the kingdom home to one of the world’s largest aluminuim smelters. Meanwhile, Bahrain continues to invest in considerable infrastructure upgrades, and these are expected to enhance the kingdom’s logistics offerings, as well as help facilitate greater tourism numbers. For its part, tourism has been identified as an area with significant potential for growth, with the Supreme Council for Tourism created to help guide and develop the sector.


Freedom in the World 2013

Freedom in the World 2013

Author: Freedom House

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2013-10-10

Total Pages: 894

ISBN-13: 144222567X

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Freedom in the World, the Freedom House flagship survey whose findings have been published annually since 1972, is the standard-setting comparative assessment of global political rights and civil liberties. The survey ratings and narrative reports on 194 countries and 14 territories are used by policymakers, the media, international corporations, civic activists, and human rights defenders to monitor trends in democracy and track improvements and setbacks in freedom worldwide. The Freedom in the World political rights and civil liberties ratings are determined through a multi-layered process of research and evaluation by a team of regional analysts and eminent scholars. The analysts used a broad range of sources of information, including foreign and domestic news reports, academic studies, nongovernmental organizations, think tanks, individual professional contacts, and visits to the region, in conducting their research. The methodology of the survey is derived in large measure from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and these standards are applied to all countries and territories, irrespective of geographical location, ethnic or religious composition, or level of economic development.


The Islamic Finance Handbook

The Islamic Finance Handbook

Author: REDmoney

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2014-04-07

Total Pages: 578

ISBN-13: 1118814436

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Get up to speed quickly on the world's fastest growing financial sector The Islamic Finance Handbook: A Practitioner's Guide to the Global Markets is the definitive report for the Islamic finance industry. Written by the industry's leading practitioners, the book provides a country-by-country breakdown of the current state of the Islamic market, including league tables by region and by country. Relevant case studies are used throughout to illustrate the practical aspect of the information presented. Organized for easy navigation, each chapter features sub-sections that allow instant comparison between countries in a specific area of interest. The Islamic finance industry is the world's fastest growing sector, valued at over U.S. $1.3 trillion by the UK Islamic Finance secretariat, with an annual growth of 24% for the past five years. To compete globally, practitioners need a true understanding of key markets within the industry. The Islamic Finance Handbook paints a clear picture of where each country stands in its development and role within the market, and provides a straightforward comparison between markets. Features include: Current macroeconomic and microeconomic conditions Regulatory and political situations Recent transactions, key participants, and the investor climate Real-world cases, as opposed to speculative scenarios The book places a clear focus on current conditions versus past performance, and on practical applications versus theoretical speculation. Each chapter is authored by a leading practitioner from within each country, allowing a true glimpse inside the day-to-day workings of the Islamic markets. For finance professionals who need to get up to speed on this rapidly growing sector, The Islamic Finance Handbook: A Practitioner's Guide to the Global Markets is a clear, comprehensive guide.


The Report: Bahrain 2017

The Report: Bahrain 2017

Author: Oxford Business Group

Publisher: Oxford Business Group

Published:

Total Pages: 230

ISBN-13: 1910068772

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Like its Gulf neighbours, Bahrain has continued to offset the effects of the drop in oil prices with a host of measures, including moves towards subsidy reduction, now in place to ease the pressure. Despite the downturn, however, the country has continued to push ahead with many big-ticket projects. Counter-cyclical spending in the energy sector is expected to stand the broader economy in good stead in the years to come, as expansion boosts the country’s refining capacity and provides a reliable supply of fuel for its heavy industries. Indeed, manufacturing continues to play a significant role, with the $3bn project to build a sixth potline for Aluminium Bahrain representing the company’s largest expansion since potline five came on-stream in 2005. The kingdom’s financial sector has long been a dominant player in the region, and despite increasing competition from emerging financial centres in the region, continues to benefit from an advanced regulatory framework, an educated workforce and a relatively low-cost environment.


The End of Poverty

The End of Poverty

Author: Jeffrey D. Sachs

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2006-02-28

Total Pages: 465

ISBN-13: 0143036580

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"Book and man are brilliant, passionate, optimistic and impatient . . . Outstanding." —The Economist The landmark exploration of economic prosperity and how the world can escape from extreme poverty for the world's poorest citizens, from one of the world's most renowned economists Hailed by Time as one of the world's hundred most influential people, Jeffrey D. Sachs is renowned for his work around the globe advising economies in crisis. Now a classic of its genre, The End of Poverty distills more than thirty years of experience to offer a uniquely informed vision of the steps that can transform impoverished countries into prosperous ones. Marrying vivid storytelling with rigorous analysis, Sachs lays out a clear conceptual map of the world economy. Explaining his own work in Bolivia, Russia, India, China, and Africa, he offers an integrated set of solutions to the interwoven economic, political, environmental, and social problems that challenge the world's poorest countries. Ten years after its initial publication, The End of Poverty remains an indispensible and influential work. In this 10th anniversary edition, Sachs presents an extensive new foreword assessing the progress of the past decade, the work that remains to be done, and how each of us can help. He also looks ahead across the next fifteen years to 2030, the United Nations' target date for ending extreme poverty, offering new insights and recommendations.


Arab Media Systems

Arab Media Systems

Author: Carola Richter

Publisher: Open Book Publishers

Published: 2021-03-03

Total Pages: 366

ISBN-13: 1800640625

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This volume provides a comparative analysis of media systems in the Arab world, based on criteria informed by the historical, political, social, and economic factors influencing a country’s media. Reaching beyond classical western media system typologies, Arab Media Systems brings together contributions from experts in the field of media in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to provide valuable insights into the heterogeneity of this region’s media systems. It focuses on trends in government stances towards media, media ownership models, technological innovation, and the role of transnational mobility in shaping media structure and practices. Each chapter in the volume traces a specific country’s media – from Lebanon to Morocco – and assesses its media system in terms of historical roots, political and legal frameworks, media economy and ownership patterns, technology and infrastructure, and social factors (including diversity and equality in gender, age, ethnicities, religions, and languages). This book is a welcome contribution to the field of media studies, constituting the only edited collection in recent years to provide a comprehensive and systematic overview of Arab media systems. As such, it will be of great use to students and scholars in media, journalism and communication studies, as well as political scientists, sociologists, and anthropologists with an interest in the MENA region.


Minerals Yearbook

Minerals Yearbook

Author: Mines Bureau

Publisher: Government Printing Office

Published: 2015-08-15

Total Pages: 426

ISBN-13: 9781411336773

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The Minerals Yearbook is an annual publication that reviews the mineral and material industries of the United States and foreign countries. The Yearbook contains statistical data on materials and minerals and includes information on economic and technical trends and development. The Minerals Yearbook includes chapters on approximately 90 commodities and over 175 countries. This volume of the Minerals Yearbook provides an annual review of mineral production and trade and of mineral-related government and industry developments in more than 175 foreign countries. Each report includes sections on government policies and programs, environmental issues, trade and production data, industry structure and ownership, commodity sector developments, infrastructure, and a summary outlook.


Minerals Yearbook

Minerals Yearbook

Author: Mines Bureau

Publisher:

Published: 2018-04-19

Total Pages: 504

ISBN-13: 9781411341739

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This edition of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Minerals Yearbook discusses the performance of the worldwide minerals and materials industries during year 2013 and provides background information to assist in interpreting that performance. These annual reviews are designed to provide timely statistical data on mineral commodities in various countries. This volume covers data from Asia and the Pacific. Each report includes sections on government policies and programs, environmental issues, trade and production data, industry structure and ownership, commodity sector developments, infrastructure, and a summary outlook. Audience: Government employees and contractors, as well as businesses and employees, all working in mineral-related trades, especially with interests in statistics about mineral commodities overseas, will find this resource invaluable.