Detective Agencies in Bahrain are in the singular. Only Wilsons Detective Bahrain is permanently represented in Bahrain and the UAE. Bahrain Private Investigations and Corporate Intelligence. Part of the Wilsons Detectives Group Partnership Bahrain. Lacking any significant oil reserves, the Kingdom of Bahrain has been forced to find other sources of income. It has built up a sturdy financial services sector.
When the Persian Empire rose, Bahrain became an important trading hub—particularly in pearls—owing to its strategic position halfway through the Persian Gulf.
In 1913, Bahrain became a protectorate of the United Kingdom following an agreement between the Ottomans and the British. The British recognized Al-Khalifa as the ruler of Bahrain but offered military protection as a part of its strong presence in the Gulf region.
Detective Agency Bahrain – fully approved and licensed
Bahrain’s move toward a financial centre started in 1961. It was known then that the country’s oil reserves weren’t as great as its neighbours’, and Sheikh Isa Bin-Salman Al-Khalifa set the foundation for forming the nation into a diversified economy with a strong financial services industry.
In 1971, Bahrain was granted independence under amicable terms with the British. Bahrain has since been an ally of the West.
Bahrain Companies Bahrain has zero corporate tax, except for companies engaged in the oil industry. There are virtually no other taxes on companies.
Forming a company in Bahrain is expensive and can take upwards of two to three weeks, but is nonetheless the best alternative to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the region.
There are a number of different business types available to companies in Bahrain, with the three most interesting being as follows:
WLL—With Limited Liability: comparable to SàRL and GmbH
BSC—Bahrain Shareholding Company: comparable to Private Limited
SPC—Single Person Company: a limited-liability sole proprietorship
These three allow for 100% foreign ownership, including corporate shareholding. An office must be maintained in Bahrain, but it’s usually enough to use the office of a reputable law or accountancy firm. Local sponsorship is not required. Trading domestically is permitted.
Names and nationalities of shareholders and directors appear on public record.
Banking in Bahrain
The modern Bahrain banking sector started in 1973 with the launch of offshore banking units. The Lebanese civil war lead to capital flight from Beirut to Bahrain, much of which remained in Bahrain even after Lebanon stabilized.
During the Arab Spring protests in 2011—when Bahrain strongly cracked down on the protests—Bahrain lost significant ground to the then seen as more stable nation of the UAE.
Services provided and customer care are of a generally high level, but there is significant variance between the large banks and the smaller ones, more so than in, for example, Europe, where even smaller banks are catching up to larger banks. Bahraini banks often have strong ties to UAE (Dubai) and Kuwait.
Personal banking is almost unheard of for non-residents, unless you can convince a bank to open savings or investment accounts for low amounts. Don’t expect to be able to open a personal current account in Bahrain without being a resident or for some reason convincing the bank that it’s worthwhile.
Private banking in Bahrain is not quite up to snuff with Lebanon or some of the better private banks in UAE. What may set Bahraini private banking apart from Lebanese private banking is the Bahrain’s greater reach into regional oil-producing countries, as well as strong trading relations with India and Pakistan. This may lead to greater investment opportunities and ways for traders to grow their portfolios.
Corporate banking is a mixed bag. It’s easy to find banks in Bahrain that are willing to open accounts for local companies owned by foreigners and non-residents. Non-resident but regional companies (essentially meaning UAE, Dubai, and Ras al-Khaimah companies) will also have a relatively easy time finding a banking partner in Bahrain. Non-regional businesses will find it much more difficult to open a bank account in Bahrain. It certainly does happen, but it’s not a normal activity. One bank is a notable exception here: BMI Bank. It opened a subsidiary in the Seychelles a few years ago, in part a collaboration with Nouvobanq. It is quite easy to open an account with BMI Seychelles both for traditional nonresident companies as well as IBCs and IBC-like companies. Noteworthy banks include:
Bahrain has loosened its banking secrecy enough to comply with OECD requirements. The kingdom has signed 43 treaties and is able to exchange bank account information.