Bahrain Investment Wharf
Introduction
The Bahrain Investment Wharf (BIW), worth US$1.3 billion, is the Kingdom's largest privately owned and operated industrial park. This ground-breaking proposal is a mixed-use manufacturing, enterprise, logistics, commercial, and residential construction estate that spans 1.7 million square meters in the recently built Al Hidd Industrial Development Zone. BIW established a visionary relationship with the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Tourism, aligning its goals with the Bahraini government's goal of diversifying the national economy and promoting the industrial sector.
What does BIW mean?
Bahrain is a small Arab state in the Persian Gulf that is officially known as the Kingdom of Bahrain. It is a heavily oiled economy that exports a significant amount of oil and gasoline. Bahrain's government has pursued a variety of policies to boost the non-oil industry over the years. Specialized areas devoted to various sectors have been designed to concentrate on each division. The Bahrain Investment Wharf (BIW), which was established in 2005 and served as a cutting-edge for industrial investments, is one such free zone in Bahrain.
Where is it located?
Bahrain Investment Wharf is situated in the newly developed Al Hidd Industrial Area in the Kingdom of Bahrain's (Salman Industrial City).
What is the project type of BIW?
Industrial Infrastructure Development.
What services do they provide?
BIW's amenities and infrastructure include leasable industrial spaces with conference facilities, on-site labour accommodations, a comprehensive network of utilities, and the infrastructural needs to help businesses get up and running quickly.
Serviced Lands –
The Bahrain Investment Wharf masterplan has 163 serviced plots with a total leasable area of 1,270,105 square meters available for establishing a Bahraini company. The area was designed to serve a wide variety of manufacturing and enterprises.
The serviced plots include world-class infrastructure such as electricity, water, telecommunications, and sewerage. Furthermore, BIW's support services ensure that industrial activities are optimized by easing day-to-day market needs.
Pre-built Commercial Spaces –
The Bahrain Investment Wharf features a pre-built shopping area as well as a 250,000-square-meter dedicated industrial park. The climate in the region actively contributes to the embrace, growth, and promotion of targeted economic sectors. Full “ready to move in” commercial offices are available throughout the park, providing greater versatility to SME's and company start-ups searching for premium dedicated leasing space.
The following programs are available as well:
- Conference spaces that are fully equipped
- 24 hrs security
- Reception and concierge services are provided on a regular basis.
- Parking in the shade
- Cleaning facility for the workplace on a regular basis
Pre-built Warehouses –
For companies interested in registering their Bahraini business activities in this zone, the Bahrain Investment Wharf has 90,000 square meters of pre-built warehousing and logistics areas. There is a range of private and public warehouse areas in the city that can be rented or leased depending on your needs.
Takhzeen, a dedicated self-storage facility that provides companies and individuals with state-of-the-art storage options, is also located there. Practically, this opens up a whole new range of possibilities for small and medium businesses looking to save money and time when it comes to setting up warehousing, small offices, and light industrial units like factories.
Takhzeen Self-Storage Facility
Takhzeen is the first self-storage facility in Salman Industrial City, which was built by a BIW subsidiary on a 20,000-square-meter plot of land inside the Al Hidd Industrial Development Zone in Bahrain.
Takhzeen has 826 specialized storage units varying in size from 2.5 to 200 square meters with a one-month minimum tenancy period. Takhzeen specializes in offering residential, enterprise, and a range of climate-controlled storage solutions with the aim of being the region's leading self-storage company. Takhzeen offers amenities such as unrestricted 24-hour safe entry, product packaging, and more.
BIW Business Park
The BIW Business Park, which opened in 2007, is a 60,703 square meter business park within the Bahrain Investment Wharf that was developed in collaboration with Inovest and Al Khaleej Development at the cost of $60 million.
Telecommunications, banking services, call centres, hardware assemblers, advertising manufacturers, and legal services are just a few of the industries represented at the BIW business park. Fully pre-serviced lands with state-of-the-art facilities and end-to-end facility maintenance systems are available in the industrial park.
Hotel & Hospitality
The Bahrain Investment Wharf has a 19,000 square meter hotel facility that offers upscale amenities to BIW guests who intend to stay longer. The hotel has a wonderful atmosphere, great dining offerings, a 24-hour lobby bar, and a cutting-edge gym. The hotel is well-equipped for conventions, with cutting-edge technologies and meeting rooms. The hotel has its own boat dock.
BIW Labour Accommodations
Since its establishment, Bahrain Investment Wharf has been committed to providing excellent services to the residential needs of companies establishing themselves within the BIW. The BIW Labour Accommodations is a model gated community with 120,000 square meters of space.
More than 20,000 industrial workers serving in BIW and Salman Industrial City will be accommodated in the accommodation district, which will provide shared facilities and services in a clean, stable, and hygienic living atmosphere. A grocery, hotel, pharmacy, and landscaped green areas are among the essential amenities.
The following programs are available as well:
- Basketball courts and a soccer field
- 24 hrs security
- Prayer hall
- Telecommunication service providers
- Money exchange offices
- Common Dining Area
- Cleaning Services are also available.
What is the leased percentage of the occupancy rate in BIW?
The BIW occupancy rate is 98 percent, with 60 percent already built and the remaining 38 percent undeveloped.
Why choose Bahrain Investment Wharf?
With a strategic location near major transportation routes (Bahrain International Airport, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Salman Port, and King Fahad Causeway towards Saudi Arabia), convenient industrial and commercial connectivity (Sitra industrial city, Manama and Seef central business districts), and state-of-the-art infrastructure, BIW is ready for business.
What is the objective of the Bahrain Investment Wharf?
The key goal of BIW is to contribute to Bahrain's rapid industrial development, draw FDI, and diversify the national economy by merging their operations with other regional industrial zones, ports, and logistics hubs. Furthermore, they are closely aligning themselves with the Bahraini government's national plans and initiatives, which pave the way for the achievement of the Bahrain Economic Vision 2030.
What are the benefits of establishing a company in Bahrain Investment Wharf?
Because of the numerous advantages that the area offers, incorporating a business company in Bahrain is a wise and lucrative investment opportunity. You can gain the following advantages by beginning a company in Bahrain:
Tax Benefit
At the end of the fiscal year, tax is a major problem for company investors. The Bahraini government takes the requisite measures to fully free business investors by initiating tax exemption proceedings. The government would not require company owners to pay personal taxes. The government would not require company owners to pay personal taxes. Bahrain, however, as a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), has begun the VAT process on January 1, 2019. This VAT law applies to business companies registered in Bahrain, and they are required to pay 5% VAT.
Repatriation in its entirety
In case of a company liquidation, the Bahraini government has exempted corporate investors from paying any fee. During the entire corporate cycle, business owners and customers have full freedom in repatriating the gross money spent, and earnings gained.
Gaining Access to the Global Market
Bahrain is an ideal destination for business owners and developers looking to grow their operations. Due to its proximity to other GCC countries such as Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Qatar, business investors benefit from excellent visibility and ease of entry into the international market.
Growing Economy
Bahrain has established itself as one of the fastest-growing business hubs in the world. The Bahraini government has taken a number of measures to improve the non-oil market, given the region's oil-based economy.
Process of Starting a Business is Simple
The investor must complete a few steps in the company establishment process in Bahrain. If you follow the advice of a professional, the method of starting a company should be relatively simple.
What Bahrain Investment Wharf is ideal for?
Bahrain Investment Wharf is ideal for the following;
- Investment and holdings
- Production of materials
- General Trading
- Cold storage
- Services for logistics
- Real estate & property management
- Management & consulting services
- Engineering manufacturing
- SME (Small and Medium Business)
- Warehousing
What challenges does the Bahrain Investment Wharf face?
The reputation of BIW was an issue. Its goal was to draw high-quality inbound investors to the Kingdom, but its identity and messaging gave it a bad reputation. The brand strategy was basically appropriate for the reason, but the visualization of the strategy was markedly local, which was ineffective in attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into the region.
Owing to its strong vertical nature, the label was difficult to apply, and the brand touchpoints feel distant from the overarching vision of being "The Gateway to Business in the Gulf."
How to start a business in Bahrain Investment Wharf?
A business investor must take the steps below to integrate a company in Bahrain:
Choose a business entity type:
The first and an important step is to choose a company structure. Business investors in Bahrain can select from a wide range of business organizations, including:
- A Foreign Company Branch
- With Limited Liability (WLL)
- Bahrain Shareholding Company- Public
- Bahrain Shareholding Company- Closed
- Single Conmandite Company
- Single Person Company
- Partnership Company
It is advised that you choose a business agency only after learning about the various forms and benefits that each entity offers. The number of available partners and the amount of money available for the initial investment determine the corporate structure.
Select a Trade Name
Following the selection of the company form, the second task is to choose a business name. The company name should be carefully selected because it would eventually become the brand. Now, according to the specified guidelines, the trademark must be distinctive and must not be insulting.
Collect the essentials for the business
To go on with the incorporation process, the business owner must have all of the necessary paperwork on hand. The following items are included in the general collection of materials:
- A duly completed application for company registration
- Shareholder(s) or investor’s passport and visa (s)
- Owner’s proof of identity
- Ownership proof of address
- The business plan’s blueprint
- Memorandum and Articles of Association drafted
- Business Activities List
- Resolution of Board of Director’s Resolution
When the records have been gathered, they must be forwarded for clearance to the appropriate government agencies.
Obtain the Business License
Following a thorough examination of the records, the relevant authority will issue a business license, which is a legal permit that acts as an important document for doing business.