Housing & Finance: Eskan Bank signed a BHD48,000 consultancy deal with Al A’ali Engineering Consultants to support delivery of 72 residential units—40 in Askar and 32 in Hamad Town—under the Royal Directive to accelerate Bahrain’s housing pipeline. Labour Market Crackdown: LMRA reported 5,130 inspection campaigns and visits in June, detaining 79 violating workers and deporting 256 expats as authorities step up enforcement across governorates. Private Sector & Sustainability: The Bahrain Chamber backed Bahrain’s ban on single-use plastic bags (Decision No 7 of 2026), urging firms to prepare for implementation from August 20 and shift to eco-friendly alternatives. AI Governance: Shura Council President Ali bin Saleh Al-Saleh said Bahrain is positioning itself as a leading AI and knowledge-economy hub, citing legislative support and the Sheikh Nasser Centre for AI R&D. Energy & Skills: Bapco Energies extended applications for its NBH Future Energy Leaders scholarship (undergraduate track) to 16 July 2026. Banking & Compliance: A nurse convicted of stealing BD25,700 from a disabled elderly patient is now on trial for laundering BD22,250 tied to the embezzlement. Regional Business Context: OPEC+ agreed to raise output by 188,000 bpd from August, while Gulf markets largely slipped on caution around US-Iran indirect talks.