Ownership of businesses in the Middle East

Which countries in the Middle East allow full foreign ownership of businesses?

There are only a handful of countries in the region that allow full foreign ownership of businesses. The UAE recently opened up several business activities to full ownership of foreign investors and entrepreneurs.

Countries like Qatar and Oman, on the other hand, still require most new ventures to be partly owned by a local citizen.

They do have their own reasons for staying with these regulations and restrictions. And we cannot criticise them for it. 

But that does not take away the fact that businesses and business owners would still prefer to have full ownership of their ventures. It helps them exercise more control over their investments and efforts.

Bahrain, while maybe not as extensively as the UAE, does allow full foreign ownership of businesses in many key industries. Industries that the country is counting on to become its sources of strength in a post-oil world that is fast approaching.

Full ownership of businesses in Bahrain

Bahrain allows full foreign ownership in several non-oil industries. 

There are, of course, several different types of companies that you could set up to do business in Bahrain. But that’s a large enough topic to warrant multiple articles, which is why we will not get into detail on that now.

What this article will shine a light on are the industries and activities that are open to full ownership of foreign individuals and businesses.

These industries where Bahrain will allow full foreign ownership of businesses include:

The type of incorporation will depend on what activity you want to do and the size of the investment. And of course, this will also influence the process of setting up a venture in Bahrain.

That being said, Bahrain allows for full foreign ownership in a very large number of important industries in the country. Not only is it allowed in traditional industries like mining or manufacturing, but also in growing industries like information technology.

This would have been part of the reason why Amazon Web Services chose Bahrain as their point of entry into the GCC market.

Bahrain Economic Development Board, in charge of attracting investments into the country, presents the country as a gateway into the 1.5$ Trillion trade market of the GCC.

And there are many reasons why you should choose Bahrain, like its location-based advantages, the favourable tax environment, a progressive economy with a view to the future including in matters like sustainability and many more.

What should you do next?

Setting up in Bahrain is an easy choice, whether you are targeting the local market or plan to use it to gain access to the rest of the GCC and MENA.

How you choose to set up is a different question. 

If you plan to set up without a local partner, the best place to start is with Bahrain EDB.

They provide assistance to investors and businesses that plan to set up a business in Bahrain.

But if you are in an industry where you need a local partner, or you believe there are benefits you will gain by choosing a local corporate partner, then you are in the right place.

There are many reasons why you should choose Al Wasel to be your local corporate partner in Bahrain. And if those reasons are not enough to convince you, get in touch with us.

Meet with our directors and the strong team that they lead and decide for yourself. 

CONTACT US NOW!