Role of non-oil sector in economic growth hailed

The non-oil sector has played a vital role in boosting Bahrain economy which is expected to grow by at least four per cent this year, the president and CEO of Al Baraka Banking group, Adnan Ahmed Yousif, said recently.
Ahmed Yousif said strategic and vital projects also played a major role in the growth.
They include infrastructure, energy and basic services projects implemented this year.
He expressed confidence in the solid fundamentals and pillars on which the Bahraini economy is based.
"Bahrain can boast to be a home of residents experts who have proven outstanding efficiency through experience and achievement as proved in the positions that are currently holding at Arab and international levels," he said.
Tand leading foreign educational institutions.
Enhancing the education system's nurturing of students' so-called soft skills has been a government priority for some time, as has the related aim of developing critical thinking skills. In common with several other Gulf states, and indeed countries across the world, Bahrain is shifting from a system based on rote-learning to a more nuanced and pupil-focused model which seeks to do more than just impart knowledge.

• Bahrain