Bahrain Banking Watch: Bahrain’s banking system balance sheet rose 3.8% to $254bn at end-April, as CBB reported money supply up BD1.4bn to BD18.1bn, retail deposits up 8.8% to BD14.7bn, and loans/credit facilities up 8.5% to BD13.4bn, alongside updates on liquidity support, loan deferrals, a UAE currency swap and the CBB’s AI strategy. GCC Industrial Policy: Bahrain hosted the 9th GCC Undersecretaries of Industry meeting, where officials pushed shock-proof supply chains and agreed work on a localisation criterion for “GCC national product” and a unified list of goods for collective customs protection. Retail Banking Promotion: NBB is offering Thara’a Prize Account customers triple chances to win its December Grand Prize if they deposit before July 1 and keep their balance, with prizes including two luxury villa wins and a $1m cash winner. Entrepreneurship Pipeline: INJAZ Bahrain wrapped up its 18th Young Entrepreneurs Competition, bringing 1,100 students and 140 finalists to the national finals, spotlighting innovation, sustainability and leadership. Food Sector Enforcement: A Bahrain court jailed four over a scheme involving expired food products after expiry dates were fraudulently altered, ordering confiscation and destruction of the goods and closure of the company for six months. FDI Growth: Bahrain’s foreign direct investment climbed 81% over a decade to BD17.733bn by end-2025, with the biggest jump in 2023. Labour Market Cooperation: Bahrain and Ethiopia are working on a structural labour framework and MoU to streamline cooperation and protect rights, with more than 35,000 Ethiopians currently in Bahrain.