Bahrain Awards Golden Licenses to Four Projects Worth USD 3.89 Billion, Including DHL MRO Facility and Capital A Aviation Ventures
Why It MattersBahrain is pairing cargo and maintenance capacity with new Far East and Europe connectivity, positioning the Kingdom as a Gulf aviation logistics and MRO base rather than only a passenger gateway.
The Kingdom of Bahrain announced USD 3.89 billion in investment from four large-scale projects awarded Golden Licenses at Gateway Gulf 2026. The projects span aviation logistics, real estate and technology. The announcement came at the fourth edition of the forum, held on 1–2 November 2026 at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay. Hosted by the Bahrain Economic Development Board (Bahrain EDB), the invitation-only event gathered more than 200 global ministerial and senior government officials, chief executives and investors.
In aviation, DHL will establish its first and only regional maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility at Bahrain International Airport, supporting its growing fleet and expanding capacity for global operations from the Kingdom. Three aviation ventures led by Capital A, the parent company of AirAsia, are set to enhance connectivity with the Far East and Europe, expand air cargo capacity through phased freight growth, and advance in-country aircraft MRO capabilities.
The other two Golden License projects are a waterfront development in Amwaj by Meliá, in partnership with Infracorp, featuring a five-star hotel and Meliá-branded residences, and Digital City Bahrain, a hub for ICT, innovation and education designed to attract cluster technology companies. Bahrain cited its Team Bahrain approach, a public-private partnership model in which Bahrain EDB acts as a bridge between investors and government. Non-oil activity accounts for around 86% of Bahrain's GDP.
