By TARIQ KHONJI

MANAMA

Youngsters who riot on Bahrain's streets are harming the country's economy and blighting their own futures, businessmen warned yesterday. Investors will be frightened off by clashes such as those which brought havoc to Bahrain on Friday, said the business leaders.

Mashal Group chief executive director and economist Dr Yousef Mashal said violence, no matter how small, would be viewed negatively.

"Things like this do not help the economy of the country, especially with all the problems going on in Iraq, Palestine and Israel at the moment," he said.

"For investors looking in from the outside, it doesn't really matter how small or big it is, it will change their view of Bahrain."

He said it would also hurt efforts to promote Bahrain abroad. "In the end, whoever these people are, they are not helping themselves or the country by doing this," said Dr Mashal.

He said Bahrain was currently in good shape economically, with gross domestic product growth at 6.6 per cent last year and projects worth billions of dollars being implemented.

Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry vice-president Ibrahim Zainal said any disturbances, including riots and disorganised demonstrations, would reflect negatively on the business environment.

"We have to be careful, especially when Bahrain is trying to attract more foreign investment."

BCCI board member Othman Al Rayes said people responsible for the violence should find other ways of protesting. "Violence is not the right way to deal with issues," he said.

Mr Al Rayes, who is a former MP, said political stability is an important factor in attracting investments and that acts such as these "will hurt investments and the economy as a whole".

l The Interior Ministry yesterday said the media should have condemned the rioters for endangering people's security and destroying public property instead of criticising the police.

The ministry's security information director said police followed the rules in dispersing the rioters after they used Molotov cocktails.

The three Bahrainis whose detention sparked the riots were arrested after the Public Prosecution issued an arrest warrant for them, the official said. Police did not force their way into the men's homes as alleged, he added.