Central Bank of Bahrain's data showed that public debt increased by 9% year-on-year at the end of the first quarter of 2022.

Oil prices increased significantly last year, compared to what the government adopted in the state budget, which raises the same questions repeated annually about the fate of the amounts collected as a result of the price increase.

A meeting of finance ministers from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain, as well as the Arab Monetary Fund was convened to discuss the financial balance program, however, it didn't give out any concrete results.

Moody's Agency predicts that Bahrain will be able to increase the Value Added Tax from 5% to 10% at the beginning of next January, to increase state revenues by about 1.8% of GDP.

Fitch Ratings has affirmed Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company's (Mumtalakat) Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) and senior unsecured rating at 'B+'. The Outlook is Stable.

Raising Bahrain's public debt ceiling to 15 billion dinars ($39.682 billion) puts further pressure on the country's public budget, while plans to pay off accumulated debts since Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa took office in 1999 are absent.

The Shura Council's financial and economic affairs committee recommended the approval of a decree that raises public debt ceiling from BD13 to 15 billion.

The House of Representatives approved (Tuesday, March 2, 2021) the State Budget draft for 2021-2022

Bahrain's economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic will be gradual, with growth projected at 3.3% this year after a 5.4% contraction in 2020, the International Monetary Fund said on Sunday.

Bahrain will likely need further financial support from its Gulf neighbours despite reform measures, Fitch Ratings' lead Bahrain analyst Toby Iles said on Monday.

Bahrain sold $2 billion in three-tranche bonds on Wednesday, a document showed, after the coronavirus pandemic and low oil prices exacerbated its fiscal deficit and pushed total outstanding debt to nearly $40 billion.

Minister of Finance and National Economy Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa said that the public debt interest in 2021 new budget represents more than 700 million dinars and will exceed 750 million dinars in 2022.

Cross-cutting sources said that the Gulf countries supporting Bahrain recently announced the postponement of a payment scheduled last September under the financial balance program.

The Al-Wefaq National Islamic Society stressed that the draft state budget of 2021/2022, which was presented by the government on Sunday, November 29, 2020, reflects a reinforcement of the policy of failure in running the state and weakness in competence.

Al-Wefaq Society issued a comment on a number of topics in which it affirmed that it rejects the visit of Zionist prime minister to Bahrain and its commendation of the sectarian rulings issued by the regime's courts against citizens of a certain sectarian component for reasons related to freedom of religion and belief.

Bahrain's public debt will reach 131% of GDP next year, according to new figures published by "The Economist".

In Bahrain, additional data and news indicate that the financial crisis has intensified as the government has asked a US company to review the fiscal balance program, the main plan for fiscal management, supported by three Gulf allies.

A recent report from the Central Bank of Bahrain predicted that government debt will represent 110% of GDP by the end of this year, with a decline to about 105% in 2021.

Bahrain's economy contracted by 8.9% year on year in the second quarter, government data showed on Sunday, as the small Gulf state suffered from restriction measures to contain the new coronavirus.

Bahrain sold $2 billion in a dual-tranche bond deal comprising seven-year sukuk and 12-year conventional bonds on Wednesday, its second international debt sale this year, a document showed.