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RIYADH: �������� and Greece are set to strengthen collaboration in industry and mineral resources following high-level talks in Athens between government officials.

The Kingdom’s Minister of Industry and Mineral Resources Bandar Alkhorayef met with the European country’s Minister of Environment and Energy Stavros Papastavrou and Minister of Development Takis Theodorikakos, with the discussions focused on expanding strategic partnerships across industrial, mining, and maritime sectors, according to an official statement. 

Both sides explored opportunities for Greek investors in the Kingdom’s fast-growing mining sector, as well as avenues for knowledge exchange and technology adoption in mineral exploration and processing. 

The meetings also highlight ��������’s efforts to position itself as a global hub for mineral development, leveraging its vast untapped resources and the regulatory reforms introduced under Vision 2030 to attract international investors. 

In a post on its official X account, the Ministry of Industry and Mineral Resources said: “Alkhorayef discussed with the Greek Minister of Environment and Energy ways to develop joint cooperation in the mining sector and investment opportunities available in the Kingdom for Greek mining companies.”  

It added: “He also discussed opportunities for exchanging expertise and transferring the latest technologies and innovative solutions in the fields of exploration, extraction, and mine management.” 

In a separate meeting with Theodorikakos, Alkhorayef discussed expanding cooperation in industrial development, including maritime industries, infrastructure projects, and specialized industrial clusters.  

The two ministers emphasized the importance of enhancing bilateral economic ties and supporting joint ventures that can strengthen trade and industrial integration between the Kingdom and Greece. 

Alkhorayef extended an official invitation to both Greek ministers to participate in the fifth edition of the Future Minerals Forum, which will be held in Riyadh from Jan. 13 to 15, 2026.  

The visit aligns with the Kingdom’s broader strategy to accelerate growth in the mining and industrial sectors, which have become central pillars of ��������’s economic diversification agenda.  

Mining exports have surged by about 80 percent, driven by increased production of phosphate, iron, aluminum, copper, and gold.  

Current and planned investments in the sector are estimated at SR180 billion ($48 billion), underscoring ��������’s ambition to position itself as a global hub for mineral resources while attracting high-quality foreign investment into downstream industries. 

RIYADH: Bahrain’s economy expanded 2.5 percent year on year in the second quarter of 2025, fueled by robust non-oil activity that continued to anchor growth, official data showed. 

The Information and eGovernment Authority and the Ministry of Finance and National Economy reported that non-oil sectors grew 3.5 percent, accounting for over 85 percent of real gross domestic product, the Bahrain News Agency reported. 

Bahrain’s performance builds on reforms under the Economic Recovery Plan, launched in October 2021 to accelerate post-pandemic growth and fiscal sustainability as part of the Economic Vision 2030 strategy. 

It also aligns with broader regional trends, as Gulf economies sustain steady non-oil expansion. 

“The Kingdom continues to achieve notable progress in international economic and development indicators, reflecting the success of its economic diversification strategies and efforts to enhance the business environment,” BNA reported. 

The latest figures showed that professional, scientific, and technical services led the upturn with a 12 percent increase, followed by wholesale and retail trade up 6.7 percent, and real estate rising 4.7 percent. 

Accommodation and food services advanced 4.6 percent, while gains were also recorded in information and communications, construction, finance, and manufacturing, underscoring broad-based momentum outside hydrocarbons. 

Foreign investment indicators strengthened alongside output. Inward foreign direct investment stock increased 5.4 percent year on year in the second quarter of 2025 to 17.5 billion Bahraini dinars ($46.4 billion), reflecting continued capital inflows into the non-oil economy. 

The second quarter’s growth builds on a solid first-quarter outturn, when Bahrain’s real GDP rose 2.7 percent year on year, underpinned by a 2.2 percent expansion in non-oil activity and a 5.3 percent rise in oil output, according to official data. 

In nominal terms, GDP increased 3 percent, with the non-oil and oil sectors up 2.8 percent and 4.6 percent, respectively. Non-oil industries remained the economy’s anchor, contributing 84.8 percent to real GDP. 

Bahrain ranked first among Arab countries in Gallup’s Global Safety Report 2025 Law and Order Index, with 90 percent of respondents reporting feeling safe at night. 

The country recorded the largest improvement in the North Africa and Western Asia region in the Global Innovation Index 2025, climbing 10 places. 

It also ranked fifth in the 2025 Greenfield FDI Performance Index and fifth in the Finance Skills Indicator in the IMD World Talent Ranking. 

Across the Gulf in the second quarter of the year, ��������’s GDP rose 3.9 percent year on year, Abu Dhabi’s economy grew 3.8 percent, driven by a 6.6 percent rise in non-oil sectors, and Oman recorded 2.1 percent growth, supported by diversified activity — highlighting continued regional momentum in economic diversification efforts.