Tier, a Berlin-based micro-mobility company backed by SoftBank, is entering Bahrain after securing $60 million in asset-backed financing from Goldman Sachs in June.
Tier was licenced by the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications to operate in Bahrain, which will be its third market in the Middle East after the UAE and Qatar.
The ministry has set out "extensive master plans to facilitate micro-mobility within the country and Tier aims to support these policies by introducing new modes of transportation, such as e-scooters and e-bikes”, said Amir Melad, Middle East general manager at Tier.
The global electric scooters market size is expected to reach about $42 billion by 2030 at a 7.7 per cent compounded annual growth rate over the forecast period, according to a study by Grand View Research.
Demand for e-scooters has helped the industry's biggest players, such as Bird and Lime, achieve multibillion-dollar valuations in less than two years.
Founded in 2018, Tier currently operates in 135 cities in 14 countries in Europe and the Middle East. It is a shared micro-mobility provider offering people a range of shared, light electric vehicles, from e-scooters to e-bikes and e-mopeds, powered by a proprietary energy network.
The company is also planning to use the new funding to install new battery charging stations in retail outlets across Europe and the Middle East to power electric vehicles and increase mobility.
“With Tier’s cutting-edge e-scooters and e-bikes, residents in Manama can experience an eco-friendly, convenient and refreshing way of moving around the city,” Mr Melad said.
“We will continue to expand our micro-mobility services to new territories in the Mena [Middle East and North Africa] region to foster greener cities,” he said.
To use a Tier scooter, riders can download the app, select an e-scooter on the virtual map and unlock it by scanning the quick response (QR) code. To end the ride, users need to find a designated safe parking spot and click on the "end ride" button.
The company’s June debt facility from Goldman Sachs followed a $250m Series C funding round led by SoftBank’s Vision Fund 2 in November.
It has rapidly expanded its footprint across cities in the GCC starting with Abu Dhabi in 2019, before adding Dubai and Doha.
Apart from SoftBank, other investors in the company include Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Capital, London-based Northzone, Goodwater Capital from California and investment company White Star Capital from New York.
Company%20profile
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Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Honeymoonish
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
Trolls World Tour
Directed by: Walt Dohrn, David Smith
Starring: Anna Kendrick, Justin Timberlake
Rating: 4 stars
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
OIL PLEDGE
At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.
Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
