Tim Ferguson: Like others in the Gulf, you're trying to position your economy for a future in which energy resources are not so much the central element of the wealth production in the Gulf. You call your program Economic Vision 2030. What's the essence of that?
Shaikh Mohammed Bin Essa Al-Khalifa: Well, the vision is to transform Bahrain's economy from an economy based on oil wealth to an economy that is globally competitive, sustainable and provides a higher standard of living for the people of Bahrain.
Ferguson: The distinction of Bahrain in the Gulf, one distinction, is that it's considered the freest economy in the Middle East and has a history of that. Could you explain that a bit?
Al-Khalifa: Well, absolutely. What many people don't realize is Bahrain has been a trading nation for 4,000 years. And because we have been a trading nation and relied on global trade, you know, we are, what I would like to say, one of the first participants in globalization. As a small country, we have benefited from it. So we've always treated people who come to Bahrain from the outside with open arms. For example, in Bahrain, we treat an investor equally, whether he comes from the U.S., Europe or Bahrain. Investment is investment. And it is this philosophy that is ingrained across all we do in Bahrain, because it doesn't matter in essence where the money comes from.
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