The Gulf Of Bahrain: A Geographic Enclosure

Bahrain is an island country in West Asia, situated in a bay on the southwestern coast of the Persian Gulf. The Gulf of Bahrain is an inlet of the Persian Gulf, located between the peninsula of Qatar and Saudi Arabia. It surrounds the islands of Bahrain, which are located approximately halfway between the Saudi Arabian coast and the northern tip of Qatar. The King Fahd Causeway, a series of bridges and embankments, connects Bahrain with Saudi Arabia. The presence of such causeways is believed to have a significant effect on water circulation in the Gulf of Bahrain.

The Gulf of Bahrain is an inlet of the Persian Gulf

The Gulf of Bahrain is relatively shallow and its waters have a small thermal capacity, meaning they are subject to wide fluctuations in temperature. The water temperature ranges from 14 to 35°C (57 to 95°F) around the coasts. The water is also more saline than other parts of the Persian Gulf. The area surrounding Bahrain features seagrass meadows, coral reefs, mudflats, and mangrove thickets, which provide habitats for invertebrates, juvenile fish, turtles, and dugongs.

Bahrain has been expanding its land area through land reclamation projects, which have had a negative impact on the surrounding marine environment. Coral reefs have been destroyed, and increased sediment in the sea has harmed other marine life. The presence of causeways crossing the Gulf of Bahrain is also believed to have a significant effect on water circulation in the area.

The Persian Gulf, sometimes referred to as the Arabian Gulf, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. It is connected to the Gulf of Oman by the Strait of Hormuz and has a length of 989 kilometres (615 miles). The Gulf features extensive reefs, including coral reefs, and is home to pearl oysters. However, its ecology has been damaged by industrialization and oil spills.

Bahrain is an archipelago of islands

The Kingdom of Bahrain is officially an island country, consisting of Bahrain Island, which makes up around 83% of the country's landmass, and some smaller islands and islets. Bahrain Island, also known as Al Bahrayn, is the biggest island within the Bahrain archipelago. It occupies an area of 233 square miles and forms a significant portion of the island country's landmass. The other islands include Nabī Ṣāliḥ, Al-Muḥarraq, Sitrah, Al-Muḥammadiyyah (Umm al-Ṣabbān), Umm al-Naʿsān, and Jiddah. The second group of islands consists of the Ḥawār Islands, which are situated near the coast of Qatar, about 12 miles southeast of Bahrain Island.

Bahrain's total land area is slightly larger than that of Singapore, spanning about 760 square kilometres. Bahrain is the third-smallest nation in Asia, with a population of over 1.5 million people as of 2023. The capital and largest city of Bahrain is Manama, located on the northeastern tip of Bahrain Island.

Bahrain has been expanding its land area through land reclamation projects, which have changed the number of islands in the archipelago. By 2008, the number of islands and island groups had increased to 84, including both natural and artificial islands. Bahrain's land reclamation efforts have had a significant impact on the surrounding marine environment, with extensive coral reefs and other marine ecosystems being destroyed.

The waters of the Gulf of Bahrain exhibit wide temperature fluctuations, with a range of 14 to 35°C (57 to 95°F) around the coasts. The waters are also more saline than other parts of the Persian Gulf. The Gulf of Bahrain is an important water body in the region, supporting a diverse range of marine life, including coral reefs, mangroves, mudflats, seagrass meadows, and various species of fish and birds.

The King Fahd Causeway crosses the Gulf of Bahrain

The King Fahd Causeway is a 15-mile (24-25 km) long series of bridges and causeways connecting Khobar, Saudi Arabia, and Al Jasra, Bahrain. It crosses the Gulf of Bahrain, an inlet of the Persian Gulf on the east coast of Saudi Arabia, separated from the main body of water by the peninsula of Qatar. The causeway consists of five bridges linked by otherwise solid embankments, with seven embankments in the Gulf's shallower water.

The idea of a bridge linking Bahrain and Saudi Arabia had been of great interest to both kingdoms for generations. The project began during an official visit to Bahrain in 1954 by King Saud, who wished to nurture and solidify the bonds between the two countries. Construction of the causeway started in 1981 and was completed in 1986. The project cost a total of US$800 million (SAR3 billion).

The King Fahd Causeway is the only land route between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. It is used by many Saudis and foreign workers in Saudi Arabia who travel to Bahrain for goods and activities unavailable in Saudi Arabia. The causeway is also used by Bahrainis who travel to Saudi Arabia. The causeway has strengthened bilateral relations and regional defence and has helped both countries economically and politically.

The causeway has been the site of several protests and uprisings. In 2011, during the Arab Spring, Bahrain's Shia majority led large protests against its Sunni rulers. In response, the Bahraini government requested security assistance from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries. In March 2011, the Saudi-led intervention in Bahrain used the causeway to cross over into Bahrain with 150 vehicles to assist the Bahraini government in suppressing the anti-government uprising.

The Gulf of Bahrain has unique ecological features

The Gulf of Bahrain is an inlet of the Persian Gulf, situated on the east coast of Saudi Arabia and separated from the main body of water by the peninsula of Qatar. It surrounds the islands of Bahrain and has two openings to the Persian Gulf. The Gulf of Bahrain has unique ecological features, including:

• Seagrass meadows: These provide important habitats for invertebrates, juvenile fish, turtles and dugongs, and help to stabilise the sediment and filter pollutants from the water.
• Coral reefs: These reefs have traditionally been important habitats for fisheries and provide renewable sources of seafood. However, they are under threat from dredging, reclamation activities and pollution.
• Mudflats: These provide feeding grounds for shorebirds and are important for the maintenance of genetic and biological diversity in the marine environment.
• Mangrove thickets: These habitats support a variety of bird, fish and shrimp species and contribute to coastal productivity. They also help to stabilise the coastline and provide protection from storms and tides.
• Oyster beds: These are of historical, cultural and economic significance due to their connection with Bahrain's pearling industry. They host a diverse community of fish species, sponges, corals and other organisms.
• Reed swamps: These rare habitats support a variety of bird and invertebrate species and are found in low-lying areas such as Lawzi Lake, Wadi Al Buhair and Ras Abu Jarjoor.
• Agricultural lands: Date palm farms support a diverse range of species, including vascular plants, algae, insects, fish and amphibians, as well as resident and migratory birds.
• Deserts: Bahrain's desert habitats cover a large geographical area and are home to around 307 species of flora, 38% of which are native to the Arabian Desert.

Bahrain's land reclamation projects

Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a small archipelago in West Asia, situated in the Persian Gulf. It is comprised of 50 natural islands and 33 artificial islands, with Bahrain Island making up around 83% of the country's landmass. The total land area of Bahrain has seen fluctuations over time due to extensive land reclamation projects, with the territory expanding from 665 km2 in the 1930s to 780 km2 by 2008.

Land reclamation is the process of increasing productivity and turning deserted places into homelands. It involves creating new land from oceans, seas, riverbeds, or lake beds. Bahrain has undertaken land reclamation projects to address the shortage of land space for its growing population, which has increased from 213,000 in 1970 to 1.5 million in 2017. Some projects built on reclaimed lands include Diyar Al Muharraq, a master-planned community near Bahrain International Airport, and Durrat Al Bahrain, a development spanning 15 artificial islands in the south.

While land reclamation has expanded Bahrain's urban landscape and diversified its economy, it has also had negative consequences. It has contributed to environmental degradation, socio-economic disparities, and domestic tensions. One of the main negative impacts is on marine life, including fish species, sea animals, and coral reefs. Extensive coral reefs in the adjoining seas have been destroyed, and the increased sediment in the sea has had a detrimental effect on marine life.

To address the sand shortage for land reclamation projects, the Bahraini government injected 500m2 of marine sand into the market by dredging an area within its territorial waters near the Saudi Arabian border. The government has also taken steps to keep up with land reclamation projects, such as collaborating with companies like Royal Boskalis Westminster N.V. (Boskalis), which completed a land reclamation project related to the North Manama Causeway in 2021.

As Bahrain continues to navigate the complexities of land reclamation, it is important to strike a balance between development imperatives and sustainability goals. By prioritizing human rights, environmental protection, and sustainable development, Bahrain can pursue a path towards resilient and equitable coastal management while fostering regional cooperation and stability.

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