Gateway Gulf 2026: DHL and Capital A Secure Golden Licences

On 1–2 November 2026, the Gateway Gulf Investment Forum 2026 took place in Manama, Bahrain.  Bahrain targeted over  $20 billion in deals, focusing on the growth of high-yield industrial sectors within the $2.4 trillion GCC economy.

As Malaysia’s Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes observed on the sidelines: “Bahrain is strategically important to us as the gateway connecting ASEAN with the Middle East, Europe and beyond… We are here, and we are here for the long term.”

Central to this forum was the Kingdom’s Golden Licence initiative. Designed to fast-track foreign direct investment qualifying via commitments exceeding $50 million or creating 500+ local jobs, coupled with expedited permits and priority land allocation. Bahrain awarded licences to four landmark projects totalling $3.89 billion. 

Most interestingly, for regional aviation executives, two of these four awards were dedicated to aerospace and aviation infrastructure.

A New Direction for Bahrain Aviation

These developments show three key strategic shifts:

  • DHL Express – The first golden licence winner: Building on a foundational 2022 MoU and a 2025 hangar investment agreement, DHL secured a Golden Licence in November 2026 to build its first and only regional maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility at Bahrain International Airport (BIA). This milestone commits DHL to insourcing heavy freighter maintenance, significantly boosting dispatch reliability across its MENA network.
  • Capital A / AirAsia – The second golden licence winner: Advancing from an exploratory 2025 Letter of Intent, Capital A secured a Golden Licence in November 2026. The trilateral agreement includes a March 2027 AirAsia passenger launch using narrow-body economics across Asia, Africa, and Europe, Teleport cargo expansion, and third-party MRO setup by Asia Digital Engineering (ADE). All of this is governed by a newly appointed local board chaired by Dr Serra Kirdar, who stated: “This venture holds tremendous opportunities, from strengthening tourism and trade links between the Gulf and Asia to creating jobs and developing talent for Bahrainis in a dynamic global industry.”
  • Gulf Air – Beyond the golden licences: Partnering with Edamah signing an investment and transaction advisory framework aimed at assessing, valuing, and potentially divesting or restructuring Gulf Air’s extensive international real estate holdings. CEO Martin Gauss reported a quick recovery to 85% load factor after a 40-day airspace closure, while expanding its regional network around BIA’s fast 40-minute transfer time.

Instead of competing with the larger regional neighbouring hubs, Bahrain is focusing on specialised technical services, efficient narrow-body routes, and agile logistics.

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