Bahrain's Fifth National Vision: A Country's Future Ambitions

The United States Fifth Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy, which was established during World War II in 1944. It was reactivated in 1995 and has since been headquartered in Bahrain. The Fifth Fleet's area of responsibility includes the Persian Gulf, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, and parts of the Indian Ocean. Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia, situated on the Persian Gulf. It is renowned for its date palms and has long been an important trading centre in the Persian Gulf.

Bahrain's location and place name

The Kingdom of Bahrain, officially known as the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia situated on the Persian Gulf. It is a small Arab state located in a bay on the southwestern coast of the Persian Gulf. The name Bahrain is derived from the Arabic term 'al-baḥrayn', which means "two seas".

Bahrain is an archipelago consisting of Bahrain Island and about 30 smaller islands, with a total land area slightly larger than Singapore. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the west, across the Gulf of Bahrain, and the Qatar peninsula to the east. The King Fahd Causeway, a 15-mile (24 km) long causeway, connects Bahrain to Saudi Arabia.

The state is made up of two distinct island groups, stretching about 30 miles (50 km) from north to south and 10 miles (16 km) from east to west. Bahrain Island, which accounts for seven-eighths of the country's total land area, is surrounded by smaller islands such as Al-Muḥarraq and Sitrah, which are connected to Bahrain Island by causeways. The second group consists of the Ḥawār Islands, located near the coast of Qatar and believed to hold petroleum and natural gas reserves.

Bahrain has a striking modern capital, Manama, which is also its chief city and port. Manama is known for its relaxed and cosmopolitan atmosphere, attracting many visitors from neighbouring countries, particularly on weekends. Despite this, the people of Bahrain generally adhere to conservative customs and traditions.

While Bahrain was one of the first Gulf states to discover oil, its production levels never reached those of its neighbours, so the country has diversified its economy. Bahrain has a small population of about 1.4 million people and is ruled by a Sunni king, with the ruling family, the Khalīfah, holding the main political and military positions.

The country's history

The history of Bahrain can be traced back to the ancient Dilmun civilization, which is believed to have been located on Bahrain Island. In ancient times, Bahrain was famed for its pearl fisheries and is mentioned in the Epic of Gilgamesh as the site of the Garden of Eden. Bahrain was settled and colonized by various groups, including the native Arab dynasty, the Al Khalifa, who have ruled since the late 18th century.

In 1602, Bahrain was expelled from Safavid Iran and subsequently came under Portuguese rule until 1783, when the Bani Utbah and allied tribes captured it from Nasr Al-Madhkur. During this time, Bahrain was an important trade centre, linking Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley. Bahrain was also ruled by the Assyrians and Babylonians, and from the 6th to 3rd century BC, it was part of the Achaemenid Empire.

In the 19th century, Bahrain was invaded by the Omanis and Al Sauds, and in 1861, Britain assumed responsibility for its defence and foreign relations. Bahrain became a protectorate of the United Kingdom in the late 1800s and remained so until it gained independence in 1971.

Bahrain was one of the first Gulf states to discover oil and build a refinery, though it never reached the production levels of its neighbours. As a result, Bahrain has diversified its economy, particularly in the financial, commercial services, and communications sectors.

In 2002, Bahrain became a constitutional monarchy, and Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa changed his title from Emir to King. However, the country has faced long-running tensions between the Shia majority and Sunni rulers, which have occasionally boiled over into civil disobedience, most notably during the 2011 Arab Spring protests.

The Bahraini monarchy

The Kingdom of Bahrain is a small Arab state situated in a bay on the southwestern coast of the Persian Gulf. It is officially a semi-constitutional monarchy, formerly an emirate, and is ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family, a native Arab dynasty that has held power since 1783. The current king, Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, changed his title from emir to king when Bahrain became a kingdom in 2002.

The economy of Bahrain

Bahrain was one of the first states in the Gulf to discover oil and to build a refinery. Petroleum production and processing are still the country's most exported products, accounting for 60% of export receipts, 70% of government revenues, and 11% of GDP. However, Bahrain's GDP growth rate decreased to 1.3% in 2011, the lowest rate since 1994, due to a combination of the Great Recession and the 2011 Bahraini uprising.

Bahrain has the freest economy in the Middle East and is the 12th-freest economy overall in the world. In 2008, Manama, Bahrain's capital, was named the world's fastest-growing financial centre by the City of London's Global Financial Centres Index. Bahrain's banking and financial services sector, particularly Islamic banking, have benefited from the regional boom driven by demand for oil.

In October 2008, the Bahraini government introduced a long-term economic vision for the country, known as 'Vision 2030', which aims to transform Bahrain into a diversified and sustainable economy. Bahrain has a well-developed road network and is home to many multinational companies and industrial projects.

In 2011, Bahrain replaced Beirut as the Middle East's financial hub after Lebanon's large banking sector was driven out of the country by the war. Bahrain is recognised by the World Bank as a high-income economy.

The country's population

The population of Bahrain is approximately 1.5 million people, with 712,362 of those being Bahraini nationals. The population is ethnically diverse, with roughly half of the population being Arab, and the other half being foreign-born, with large numbers of people from India, Iran, Pakistan, the UK, and the US. The official language of Bahrain is Arabic, but English is widely used, and is a compulsory second language in schools. Other languages spoken include Persian, Urdu, Hindi, and Tagalog.

Bahrain is the fourth most densely populated sovereign state in the world, with a population density of 1,646 people per square km in 2010. The population is largely urban, with 90% living in urban areas in 2024. The capital and largest city is Manama, which is located on the northeastern tip of Bahrain Island.

Bahrain's population is growing, with a projection of 1.756 million people by 2030. The population growth rate was 1.3% in 2011, but this has increased in recent years. The country has a high life expectancy, with an average of 78 years for men and 80 years for women in 2022.

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