Bahrain, home to the US Central Command’s regional base, issued public safety guidance on Sunday in the wake of American strikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
The Gulf nation is strategically close to Iran. It hosts US personnel and military officials and established ties with Israel several years ago.
"In light of recent developments in the regional security situation, we urge citizens and residents to use main roads only when necessary, to maintain public safety and to allow the relevant authorities to use the roads efficiently," an Interior Ministry statement read.
Manama also said 70 per cent of government employees, including those in ministries and government agencies, will work from home, starting immediately, following the US attacks.
Emergency staff are excluded from the order, Bahrain's Civil Service Bureau said.
"A remote working system will be activated across ministries and government agencies, with a 70 per cent work-from-home capacity," the official Bahrain News Agency said after the US bombed Iran.
Nearly 9,000 defence personnel are stationed in Bahrain, including military and civilian staff. The US Navy's Fifth Fleet provides security to ships and aircraft in the region.
Kuwait emergency plan
In a similar development, the Kuwaiti Finance Ministry said on Sunday it has activated its emergency plan to ensure the continuity of financial and service operations with high efficiency.
The measures included preparing shelters in the building of the ministries' complex, which will accommodate about 900 people, and providing warehouses to be used when necessary.
Kuwait hosts a major American military base, Camp Arifjan, which is south-east of the capital, Kuwait city. It was established in 1999 and provides primary logistics for US military operations across the region.
Iran has previously threatened to target US military bases in the region if Washington intervened on Israel’s side.
Bahrain and other Gulf states also lie near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear reactor, which has reportedly been the target of Israeli strikes. Their proximity, just across the narrow waters of the Gulf, has raised regional security concerns, especially amid fears of radioactive fallout or wider escalation.
Young women have more “financial grit”, but fall behind on investing
In an October survey of young adults aged 16 to 25, Charles Schwab found young women are more driven to reach financial independence than young men (67 per cent versus. 58 per cent). They are more likely to take on extra work to make ends meet and see more value than men in creating a plan to achieve their financial goals. Yet, despite all these good ‘first’ measures, they are investing and saving less than young men – falling early into the financial gender gap.
While the women surveyed report spending 36 per cent less than men, they have far less savings than men ($1,267 versus $2,000) – a nearly 60 per cent difference.
In addition, twice as many young men as women say they would invest spare cash, and almost twice as many young men as women report having investment accounts (though most young adults do not invest at all).
“Despite their good intentions, young women start to fall behind their male counterparts in savings and investing early on in life,” said Carrie Schwab-Pomerantz, senior vice president, Charles Schwab. “They start off showing a strong financial planning mindset, but there is still room for further education when it comes to managing their day-to-day finances.”
Ms Schwab-Pomerantz says parents should be conveying the same messages to boys and girls about money, but should tailor those conversations based on the individual and gender.
"Our study shows that while boys are spending more than girls, they also are saving more. Have open and honest conversations with your daughters about the wage and savings gap," she said. "Teach kids about the importance of investing – especially girls, who as we see in this study, aren’t investing as much. Part of being financially prepared is learning to make the most of your money, and that means investing early and consistently."
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final:
First leg: Liverpool 5 Roma 2
Second leg: Wednesday, May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
TV: BeIN Sports, 10.45pm (UAE)
The Africa Institute 101
Housed on the same site as the original Africa Hall, which first hosted an Arab-African Symposium in 1976, the newly renovated building will be home to a think tank and postgraduate studies hub (it will offer master’s and PhD programmes). The centre will focus on both the historical and contemporary links between Africa and the Gulf, and will serve as a meeting place for conferences, symposia, lectures, film screenings, plays, musical performances and more. In fact, today it is hosting a symposium – 5-plus-1: Rethinking Abstraction that will look at the six decades of Frank Bowling’s career, as well as those of his contemporaries that invested social, cultural and personal meaning into abstraction.
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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1.
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United States
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2.
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China
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3.
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UAE
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4.
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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6.
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Canada
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7.
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Singapore
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8.
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Australia
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9.
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Saudi Arabia
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10.
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South Korea
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