King Fahd Causeway boosts non-oil trade by 18% in Q2
Non-oil trade between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain amounted to $781 million during the second quarter of this year, a year-onyear increase of 18 percent, mainly due to the growth in the number of trucks crossing the King Fahd Causeway every day.
Saudi trade accounted for around half of Bahrain’s total trade with the six Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members, according to the latest figures released by Bahrain’s eGovernment and Information Authority.
Ali Al-Mudaifa, executive director of Bahrain’s Economic Development Board, said in a press statement: “The King Fahd Causeway was instrumental in the food and medical supply chain during the height of the pandemic in Q2 2020. It will be just as important in supporting continued economic activity and trade between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in 2021.
“Bahrain is only a 40-minute drive away from the region’s biggest market, Saudi Arabia, so the causeway is a major draw for international companies looking to expand into the Gulf. Our kingdom
is also very well connected to the rest of the GCC via multiple daily flights on the national carrier, Gulf Air, and DHL’s regional hub is based at our new airport terminal,” he added.
Saudi Arabia opened up its international borders on May 17. In a bid to manage the surge in demand, 10 additional lanes have been installed in the departure area at the King Fahd Causeway, bringing the total number of lanes to 27, as well as 36 lanes in the arrival area.
The waiting time across the causeway has also become a lot easier. The King Fahd Causeway Authority and Tabadul in March announced it was planning to roll out a new truck management scheme. The pilot scheme is designed to help reduce the waiting time for trucks on the bridge from an average of four hours to just 20 minutes.