Article at a glance:

Meeting Bahrain's challenges: An interview with Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa

• Bahrain is currently in the midst of an ambitious program of political and economic reform aimed at encouraging diversification and growth and at responding to competition from its resource-rich neighbors. The tiny island nation is set to be the first member of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to run out of oil.
• Since being named crown prince in 1999, His Highness Sheikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa, chairman of the country's Economic Development Board, has been a leading architect of the transition.
• In this interview he discusses the main pillars of the reform process, the challenge of overhauling Bahrain's labor market, and plans for further privatization. He highlights the achievements of the financial sector and argues that equipping people with the right skills through training and education is the most important task ahead.