Central Banking: Bahrain’s Central Bank kept the overnight deposit rate unchanged at 4.25%, citing ongoing monitoring of global market conditions. Sovereign Finance: National Bank of Bahrain (NBB) acted as joint lead manager and bookrunner on Bahrain’s $1bn, 10-year international bond, priced at a 7.125% yield and backed by a $3.2bn+ orderbook. Startups & Innovation: Bahrain’s startup ecosystem value jumped 759% to $1.6bn, with the kingdom ranking among Mena’s top performers in overall startup performance and AI-native activity. Asset Management: SICO Capital launched the SICO GCC Dividends Fund, an open-ended, Saudi-domiciled equity fund targeting quarterly income from high-yield dividend payers across the GCC. Labour Services: LMRA upgraded its digital process for domestic workers’ work-permit status after an employer’s death, cutting processing time to one day. Aviation & Fleet: Gulf Air added an Airbus A321neo to expand its fleet to 46 aircraft, supporting its fleet renewal plan. Regional Trade & Logistics: Gulf Warehousing Company (GWC) launched a Doha-to-GCC air-to-land logistics corridor using TIR-certified cross-border land freight. Geopolitics & Energy: Iran announced a full closure of the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, escalating risks for global oil flows even as a US-Iran framework deal is discussed.