Export Bahrain
Run by Export Bahrain (an EDB initiative)
Cost-sharing support that helps Bahraini SMEs sell abroad — market entry, certification, logistics and trade fairs.
- Ticket size
- Cost-sharing typically covering a share of eligible export costs
- Equity taken
- None
- Realistic timeline
- Roughly 1–3 months per approved support package
About Export Bahrain
Launched 2018 as a national export development initiative
Export Bahrain is a national initiative dedicated to supporting Bahrain-based businesses in expanding their reach into global markets. The organisation provides a suite of solutions including export credit insurance, internationalisation advisory services, and export financing. Through these services, they assist local exporters and startups in navigating international trade barriers and scaling their operations globally.
Mission
To empower Bahraini enterprises to export their products and services and compete in international markets.
Vision
To make Bahraini products and services a recognised presence in global markets.
Purpose
The organisation exists to strengthen Bahrain's international trade footprint by encouraging and enabling local businesses to export their products and services. It aims to drive economic growth by transforming local enterprises into global competitors and facilitating access to international buyers.
Checked against their website on 26 Oct 2026. How updates work
What others say about them
Praise and caveats drawn from published coverage and the organisations' own public material. Every point links to its source so you can read it yourself.
Credited with
Unusually concrete support: 80% of export credit insurance premiums subsidised, plus buyer-evaluation and application fees, with up to 90% reimbursement if a buyer defaults.
Our solutions ↗Worth knowing
Only relevant if you're actually exporting products or services with local Bahraini input. Domestic-only businesses won't qualify.
Frequently asked questions ↗What it actually is
- •A national export development programme that shares the cost of taking a Bahraini product or service into foreign markets.
- •Support covers things like market research, certification, packaging, logistics, trade shows and distributor searches.
- •Advisory comes bundled — they help you decide which market to attack first.
Who it's for
- •Bahraini SMEs with a proven product at home and a credible reason to sell it abroad.
- •Manufacturers, food producers and service exporters.
- •Companies already receiving overseas enquiries they cannot yet fulfil.
What they really look for
- •Existing domestic sales — this is expansion support, not startup capital.
- •Export readiness: capacity, compliance and a product that travels.
- •A specific target market with a named route to buyers.
What the process looks like
- 1
Registration and assessment
1–3 weeksExport readiness review of your company and product.
- 2
Export plan
2–4 weeksAgree the target market and which support components you need.
- 3
Approval
2–4 weeksSupport package and cost-share confirmed.
- 4
Execution and reimbursement
1–6 monthsYou spend, evidence it, and the approved share is covered.
What founders wish they'd known
- →Most support is reimbursement-based, so you need the cash to spend first.
- →Certification for the target market is usually the longest lead item — start it early.
- →Come with one focused market. 'The whole GCC' reads as no plan at all.
What gets you rejected
- ×No domestic sales record.
- ×Product that cannot meet the destination market's standards.
- ×Pure re-export of goods with no Bahraini value added.
Documents to have ready
- CR and company profile
- Product catalogue and specifications
- Financial statements
- Export plan with target market
- Quotations for the costs you want shared
- Certifications held or in progress
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