Bahrain And Saudi Arabia: A Comparison Of Perspectives

Bahrain and Saudi Arabia are geographically close, with Bahrain being an island country situated on the Persian Gulf, and Saudi Arabia lying to the west of Bahrain across the Gulf of Bahrain. Both countries are monarchies with a Sunni ruler and a population that includes both Sunni and Shiite Muslims. They are also members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, and their close relationship was demonstrated during the Arab Spring, when Saudi forces entered Bahrain to suppress the rebellion, which threatened to topple the Bahraini monarchy.

However, there are also differences between the two countries. Bahrain has a smaller population of 1.4-1.6 million compared to Saudi Arabia's 35.8 million. Bahrain's economy is more diversified, as it has had to develop other sectors such as financial services and tourism due to its lower levels of oil production. In addition, while Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy, Bahrain is a semi-constitutional monarchy, although it has been criticised for eliminating political rights and civil liberties since 2011.

Bahrain's Shia majority and Sunni rulers

Bahrain is a small Arab state situated in a bay on the southwestern coast of the Persian Gulf. It is a constitutional monarchy with a semi-elected parliament. The country is ruled by a Sunni king, whose family holds the main political and military posts. The Al Khalifa royal family has ruled Bahrain since 1783, when they arrived in Shia Bahrain from Najd.

Bahrain's population is approximately 1.5 million, with the majority being Shia Muslims. The exact ratio of Shia to Sunni citizens is unclear, with estimates ranging from 51-62% Shia. The country's two Muslim communities share similar views on several key issues, including the importance of good ties with neighbouring countries and the need for internal political and economic reform. However, there is significant tension between the Shia majority and the Sunni rulers, which has sporadically boiled over into civil disobedience and protests. This tension stems from the Shia community's perception of political repression and economic marginalization.

The Sunni elite and Shia majority hold very different attitudes towards Iran's policies and proxies in the region. While 68% of Shia citizens view Iran's regional policies favourably, only 2% of Sunnis share this sentiment. This divergence is also reflected in their opinions on maintaining good relations with Iran, with 60% of Shia citizens in support compared to only 5% of Sunnis.

Despite the sectarian tension, Bahrain's Shia and Sunni citizens share similar views on several key foreign policy issues. Three-fourths of both sects believe that Arabs should work harder to promote coexistence and cooperation. Additionally, a majority of both groups (56%) agree that internal political and economic reform is more important than any foreign policy issue. Bahrain's Shia and Sunni citizens also share a desire for moderate interpretations of Islam, with half of each community expressing this view.

In summary, while Bahrain's Shia majority and Sunni rulers have different perspectives on certain issues, particularly regarding Iran, they also share common ground on several key topics, including the need for coexistence and reform.

Bahrain's economy

Bahrain's nominal GDP was USD 46.0 billion in 2023, with a GDP per capita of USD 28,698, far higher than the global average. The economy recorded average annual growth of 2.8% in the decade to 2022, and the unemployment rate averaged 4.5% over the same period. Bahrain's monetary policy rate ended 2022 at 5.25%, up from 0.50% a decade earlier.

In 2021, services accounted for 55% of Bahrain's overall GDP, with manufacturing at 20%, other industrial activity at 25%, and agriculture at 0%. Private consumption made up 42% of GDP in 2020, government consumption 17%, fixed investment 35%, and net exports 6%. Bahrain's exports were worth USD 30 billion in 2022, while imports totalled USD 22 billion.

In recent years, the Bahraini government has implemented economic reforms to boost the country's image as a tourist destination and reduce its financial dependency on other nations. Bahrain is heavily dependent on food imports, relying on meat from Australia and importing 75% of its fruit consumption.

Unemployment, depletion of oil and water resources, and military expenditure are major long-term economic challenges for Bahrain.

Bahrain's media

The government owns all national broadcast media outlets, and the private owners of Bahrain's main newspapers have close ties to the state. Most of the press is privately owned and can avoid censorship as long as it refrains from criticising the ruling family. However, vaguely worded laws allow the state to imprison journalists for criticising the king or Islam or for threatening national security. Self-censorship is encouraged, and Bahrain is known for jailing journalists.

The country's media is predominantly in Arabic, although English-language and Malayalam newspapers are also available. The English-language press includes the *Gulf Daily News* and the *Daily Tribune*, while the *Gulf Madhyamam* is published in Malayalam. An independent critical voice, the Arabic-language newspaper *Al-Wasat*, was shut down in 2017.

Bahrain has one of the highest internet penetration rates in the Arab world, with an estimated 1.8 million internet users by July 2022, equating to more than 100% of the population. The authorities closely monitor online activity, and the government blocks access to hundreds of websites.

Bahrain's monarchy

Bahrain is a small Arab state situated in a bay on the southwestern coast of the Persian Gulf. It is an archipelago consisting of Bahrain Island and around 30 smaller islands. It is officially known as the Kingdom of Bahrain and is dominated by its constitutional monarch, Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa.

Bahrain has a bicameral National Assembly consisting of the Shura Council (40 seats) and the Council of Representatives (40 seats). The Shura Council is appointed by the king, while the Council of Representatives is elected by absolute majority vote.

The country gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1971 and was initially an absolute monarchy ruled by the Al-Khalifa family. However, in 1999, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa became emir and initiated a wave of reforms, transforming Bahrain into a semi-constitutional monarchy. In 2002, he declared himself king and amended the constitution to give the appointed Shura Council equal powers to the elected Council of Representatives, effectively entrenching his position.

The Bahraini monarchy is Sunni Muslim and has been criticised for violating the human rights of dissidents, political opposition figures, and the country's majority Shia Muslim population. The main opposition group is the Shia al-Wefaq National Islamic Society, which gained 17 of the 40 seats in the lower house in the 2006 elections.

The monarchy has wide-ranging executive powers, including appointing the prime minister and ministers, commanding the army, and chairing the Higher Judicial Council. The current prime minister is Salman ibn Hamad Al Khalifah, who is also the king's uncle.

The Al-Khalifa family has ruled Bahrain since the late 18th century, recognising the islands' strategic importance and opening its port facilities to foreign naval fleets. Bahrain has a small but well-equipped military and close relations with the United States, which has a base in the country.

The monarchy has also diversified the economy away from oil towards banking, tourism, and other service sectors. Bahrain is a high-income economy recognised by the World Bank.

Bahrain's foreign relations

Bahrain has been described as playing a modest, moderating role in regional politics, adhering to the views of the Arab League on Middle East peace and Palestinian rights. It generally pursues a policy of close consultation with neighbouring states and works to narrow areas of disagreement.

Since gaining independence from the United Kingdom in 1971, Bahrain has maintained friendly relations with most of its neighbours and the world community. It has an elected lower house of parliament, the Council of Representatives, and an appointed upper house, the Shura Council.

Bahrain is a member of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC), established in 1981 with five other Persian Gulf states. It has fully complied with steps taken by the GCC to coordinate economic development and defence and security planning. In 1994, it concurred with the GCC decision to drop secondary and tertiary boycotts against Israel. Bahrain was also a member of The Forum of Small States (FOSS) since the group's founding in 1992.

Bahrain has a well-developed road network, particularly in its capital, Manama. It has an international airport, the Bahrain International Airport (BAH), located on the island of Muharraq, in the northeast. The country has a universal healthcare system, and government-provided healthcare is free to Bahraini citizens and subsidised for non-citizens.

Bahrain has good relations with the United States, signing a cooperative agreement with the United States Military and providing the country with a base in Juffair since the early 1990s. Bahrain hosts the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet and U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, and participates in U.S.-led military coalitions, including the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS. Bahrain was also the first Arab state to lead a Coalition Task Force patrolling the Gulf region.

Bahrain has established bilateral relations with 190 countries worldwide and maintains a network of 25 embassies, three consulates, and four permanent missions to the Arab League, the United Nations, and the European Union, respectively. It is a member of the United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, Gulf Cooperation Council, Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Arab League, World Trade Organization, and the Non-Aligned Movement.

In 2001, Bahrain and Qatar resolved a long-standing territorial dispute over the Hawar Islands and the maritime boundary through a compromise decision by the International Court of Justice. In 2011, Bahrain cut diplomatic ties with Qatar, closing its airspace and maritime transport to Qatar, and asking Qataris to leave the country. However, in April 2023, Bahrain restored diplomatic ties with Qatar.

In 2016, Bahrain cut diplomatic relations with Iran after the storming of the Saudi embassy in Tehran, following Saudi Arabia's execution of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr. Bahrain has also participated in the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen against the Shia Houthis and forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

In 2020, Bahrain established bilateral relations with Israel under the Bahrain-Israel normalization agreement. However, in November 2023, Bahrain recalled its ambassador to Israel and froze economic ties.

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