Israel, Bahrain eye to sign free trade deal by year-end

By Zain Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) – Israel and Bahrain agreed on Monday to seek to sign a free trade agreement between the two countries by the end of the year.

This came during a meeting between Israeli Economy Minister Orna Barbivai and Bahraini Industry and Commerce Minister Zayed Alzayani in Israel, according to the Israeli Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

Both ministers agreed to accelerate the process in order to reach the signing of a free trade agreement before the end of the year, the daily said.

An Israeli delegation is expected to arrive in the Bahraini capital, Manama, in mid-November to complete the talks on the free trade deal.

Alzayani's visit to Israel is the third since both countries normalized their relations in September 2020.

In 2021, the trade volume between Israel and Bahrain stood at $7.5 million.

In May, Israel signed a free trade agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to expand economic relations between the two countries.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar