Exploring Bahrain: An Open City Country?

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 some 30 smaller islands. Its name is derived from the Arabic term 'al-baḥrayn', meaning 'two seas'.

Bahrain is renowned for its lush groves of date palms and is widely believed to be the site of the ancient kingdom of Dilmun, a commercial centre that traded with ancient Sumer. The country's chief city, port, and capital, Manama, is located on the northeastern tip of Bahrain Island.

Bahrain has a mixed public/private healthcare system, and its education system is considered one of the best in the Persian Gulf. It is a Muslim country that has been ruled by the Khalifa family since 1783, with a bicameral legislature made up of a Chamber of Deputies and a Shura Council.

Bahrain's culture shares many similarities with its Arab neighbours in the Gulf region, but it is regarded as relatively liberal and cosmopolitan in comparison. Bahrainis are known for their friendliness and welcoming attitude towards expats, and their relaxed attitude towards other cultures.

Bahrain's history and culture

Bahrain, officially known as the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a small Arab state located in a bay on the southwestern coast of the Persian Gulf. The name "Bahrain" comes from the Arabic term "al-baḥrayn", which means "two seas". The country is an archipelago consisting of Bahrain Island and about 30 smaller islands, with the capital, Manama, located on the northeastern tip of Bahrain Island.

History

Bahrain has a long and rich history, dating back thousands of years. While civilisation can be traced back 5,000 years, there is evidence that the island was inhabited much earlier, possibly as far back as 10,000 BC. Archaeologists have confirmed that Bahrain was once the seat of the Dilmun Empire, which flourished between 3,200 and 330 BC and extended as far north as Kuwait and into Saudi Arabia. Bahrain was later ruled by various empires, including the Babylonians, Greeks, Portuguese, Persians, and Omanis.

In the 19th century, Bahrain became a British protectorate and remained under British rule until it gained independence in 1971. During this period, oil was discovered in the centre of the island in 1932, making Bahrain one of the first states in the Gulf to discover oil. However, its oil production never reached the levels of its neighbours, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, so Bahrain has diversified its economy, particularly in the banking and tourism sectors.

Culture

Bahrain's culture is heavily influenced by its Islamic heritage and is similar to that of its Arab neighbours in the Gulf region. The country is known for its hospitality and generosity, with a strong cultural, religious, and ethnic identity. Bahrainis are ethnically diverse, with at least 8-9 different ethnic groups, including Shia and Sunni citizens. While Islam is the state religion, Bahrain is tolerant of other faiths, with Catholic and Orthodox churches, Hindu temples, and even a Jewish synagogue present on the island.

Bahrainis take pride in their traditional dress, with men typically wearing a thobe, a loose, long-sleeved, ankle-length garment, and women wearing the abaya, a long, loose-fitting black gown, along with a hijab. Falconry, horse riding, and poetry are traditional pastimes, while football (soccer) has become a popular modern sport. Bahrain also has a rich artistic heritage, with traditional handicraft industries, music, and dance.

Demographics

Bahrain's population is approximately 1.5 million, with about half of the population being foreign-born, mainly from Iran, India, Pakistan, and other countries. Arabic is the official language, but English is widely spoken, and other languages such as Persian, Urdu, and Hindi are also common among expatriates.

The country's economy and industry

The economy of Bahrain is heavily dependent on oil and gas, with petroleum and natural gas being the country's only significant natural resources. Bahrain's most exported product is petroleum, which accounts for 60% of export receipts, 70% of government revenues, and 11% of GDP. The country's second most exported product is aluminium, followed by finance and construction materials. Bahrain's economy is also supported by its successful finance industry, with the country being recognised as a high-income economy by the World Bank.

Bahrain has the freest economy in the Middle East and was named the world's fastest-growing financial centre by the City of London's Global Financial Centres Index in 2008. The country has heavily invested in the banking and tourism sectors, with many of the world's largest financial institutions having a presence in the Bahraini capital, Manama. Bahrain's economy has also benefited from the regional oil boom, as well as the Lebanese Civil War in the 1970s and 1980s, which saw the country replace Beirut as the financial hub of the Middle East.

Despite its success in the oil and gas industry, Bahrain has a limited supply of oil and has therefore made efforts to diversify its economy. The country has expanded into sectors such as banking, heavy industries, retail, and tourism. Bahrain is also the main banking hub for the Persian Gulf and a centre for Islamic finance, benefiting from a strong regulatory framework. Additionally, Bahrain has the most diversified economy in the GCC region, with particular strengths in financial services, ICT, manufacturing, logistics, and tourism.

In recent years, the Bahraini government has implemented economic reforms to boost the country's image as a tourist destination and to reduce its financial dependency on the oil and gas industry. Bahrain has also signed several trade agreements, including the US-Bahrain Free Trade Agreement in 2005, becoming the first Persian Gulf state to do so.

The people of Bahrain

Sunni Bahrainis are mainly divided into two main ethnic groups: Arabs (al Arab) and Huwala. Sunni Arabs are the most influential ethnic group in Bahrain. They hold most government positions, and the Bahraini monarchy are Sunni Arabs. Sunni Arabs have traditionally lived in areas such as Zallaq, Muharraq, West Riffa, and Hawar Islands. The Huwala are descendants of Sunni Iranians; some of them are Sunni Persians, while others are Sunni Arabs. There are also Sunnis of Baloch origin. Most African Bahrainis come from East Africa and have traditionally lived in Muharraq Island and Riffa.

Roughly half of the population is Arab, and most inhabitants are native-born Bahrainis, but some are Palestinians, Omanis, or Saudis. Foreign-born inhabitants, constituting about half of the population, are mostly from Iran, India, Pakistan, Britain, and the United States. About three-fifths of the labour force is foreign-born.

Arabic is the official language of Bahrain, though English is widely used and is a compulsory second language at all schools. Persian is also common, although it is spoken mostly in the home. A number of other languages are spoken among expatriates in Bahrain, including Urdu, Hindi, and Tagalog.

The country's climate and geography

The Kingdom of Bahrain is an island country in West Asia, situated in the Gulf of Bahrain in the Persian Gulf, off the north shore of the Arabian Peninsula. It is an archipelago consisting of Bahrain Island, which makes up around 78% to 83% of the country's landmass, and 30 to 50 smaller natural islands, with an additional 33 artificial islands. The total area of the country is about 694 to 780 square kilometres (268 to 300 square miles).

Bahrain has an arid climate with mild, pleasant winters and very hot and humid summers. From April to October, temperatures average 40 °C (104 °F) and can reach 46 °C (114.8 °F). The combination of intense heat and high humidity makes this season uncomfortable. In addition, a hot, dry southwest wind, known locally as the qaws, periodically blows sand clouds across the country. Temperatures moderate in the winter months, from November to March, when the range is between 10 and 20 °C (50 and 68 °F). However, humidity often rises above 90% in winter. Bahrain receives little precipitation, with the average annual rainfall being 72 millimetres (2.8 inches), usually confined to the winter months.

Geographically, Bahrain is a generally flat and arid archipelago. The central region of the main island is rocky and barren, rising to 134 metres (440 feet) above sea level at Al-Dukhān Hill (Jabal Al-Dukhān), the country's highest point. The southern and western lowlands consist of a bleak sandy plain with some salt marshes. In contrast, the northern and northwestern coasts feature a narrow belt of date palms and vegetable gardens irrigated by artesian water from springs and wells. The abundance of fresh water has historically provided Bahrain with fertile land, making it an important harbour and trading centre in the Persian Gulf. However, economic developments and population growth have outstripped the available water resources, and about three-fifths of the water used now comes from seawater desalination plants.

The country's natural resources include large quantities of oil and natural gas, which are found primarily offshore. Arable land constitutes only about 2.82% of the total area, and forest cover is around 1% of the total land area. Bahrain experiences periodic droughts and dust storms, and desertification is a significant environmental concern. The shallow seas around Bahrain heat up quickly in the summer, resulting in very high humidity, especially at night.

The country's government and politics

Bahrain is a semi-constitutional monarchy ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family, with Ahmed al Fateh as Bahrain's first hakim. The current king is Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, who has wide-ranging executive powers, including appointing the prime minister and ministers, chairing the Higher Judicial Council, and dissolving the elected lower house of parliament. The prime minister is the head of government.

Bahrain has a bicameral National Assembly, consisting of the Shura Council (the upper house) and the Council of Representatives (the lower house). The Shura Council has 40 members, all appointed by the king, while the Council of Representatives has 40 members, elected by absolute majority vote in gerrymandered single-member constituencies to serve four-year terms.

The country held its first parliamentary elections in 1973, but the emir dissolved parliament and suspended the constitution in 1975 after parliament rejected the State Security Law. Bahrain became a semi-constitutional monarchy in 2002, and the period between 2002 and 2010 saw three parliamentary elections.

The country's small but well-equipped military is known as the Bahrain Defence Force (BDF) and includes the Bahrain Royal Guard, which is separate from the BDF. The supreme commander of the Bahraini military is the king, with the Crown Prince as deputy supreme commander.

Bahrain has close relations with the United States, hosting two US military bases, and is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council, the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (as a dialogue partner).

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