Bahrain secured $492 million of tourism capital investment last year, the highest in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region. That’s largely because of investments from Dubai-based Emaar Properties and real estate developer Eagle Hills. Capital investment into MEA last year decreased 82 percent from 2019, dropping to $1.6 billion. The number of tourism jobs created in the region also experienced a similar decline, falling from approximately 17,400 in 2019 to 2,800 in 2020. Bahrain ranked first in MENA for the number of tourism jobs created in 2020 and second for the number of tourisms FDI projects.
Prior to Covid, Bahrain was attracting around one million visitors-a-month on average and the tourism sector contributed around 7 percent to GDP. During the pandemic, the country continued developing its strategy to transform its tourism sector, allocating more than $10bn to tourism infrastructure projects, including the $1.1bn modernization of its international airport. The kingdom is also growing its portfolio. As the pandemic eases and restrictions lift, there will be a greater opportunity for regional connectivity and cooperation.