Bahrain facts & figures
A Brief Overview
Official Title: Mamlakat Al-Bahrain, Kingdom of Bahrain
Bahrain is an Arabic word meaning "Two Seas", and refers to two facts, one that the islands contain two sources of water, sweet water springs and salty water in the surrounding seas, or to the south and north waters of the gulf, separating it from the Arabian coast and Iran, respectively.
Location: Bahrain is an archipelago of 40 islands in the Arabian Gulf midway between the Qatar peninsula and Saudi Arabia. Bahrain Island is a pear-shaped land mass 48 km. long and 16 km. wide. Bahrain is connected to Saudi Arabia by 23-km causeway, which opened in November 1986
Capital: Manama
Total Land Area: Bahrain has a total area of 711 sq km (274 sq mi).
Climate: hot summers, pleasant winters
Bahrain Time Difference: GMT + 3
Governorates: Bahrain is divided into five governorates
- Capital
- Central
- Muharraq
- Northern
- Southern
People
Total Population: Population of Bahrain (July 2006 estimate) is 724,645 (Source: CIO)
Population Growth: 1.45% (2006 estimate)
Official Languages: The official language is Arabic. English is very widely spoken and is the principal language of commerce.
Government
Head of State: King Hamad bin Essa Al-Khalifa
Head of Government: Shaikh Khalifa bin Salman Al-Khalifa
Crown Prince and Commander-in-chief of the Bahrain Defense Force: Shaikh Salman bin Hamad Al-Khalifa
Parliament: Bahrain has a bicameral legislature with a lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, elected by universal suffrage and the upper house, the Shura Council, appointed by the King. Both houses have forty members. The inaugural elections were held in 2002, with parliamentarians serving four year terms
Membership: Bahrain is a member of the UN, Arab League, Gulf Co-operation Council and the Organization of the Islamic Conference
Economic Indicators
A Growing Economy:
Bahrain is the fastest growing economy in the Arab world, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia found in January 2006
Bahrain also has the freest economy in the Middle East according to the 2006 Index of Economic Freedom published by the Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal, and is twenty-fifth freest overall in the world. Bahrain is home to numerous multinational firms with business in the Arabian Gulf
| Real GDP Growth Rate | 5.9% (2005 est.) |
GDP
constant prices (2005): BD 3,496.19 million- $ 9.25 billion | $11.58 billion (2005 est.) |
Per Capita GDP
constant prices (2005): BD 4,824.70 - $ 12,763.76 | $20,500 (2005 est.) |
Exports
Total exports at constant prices (2005): BD 2612.9 million
$ 6.91 billion | $8.14 billion |
Imports
Total imports at constant prices (2005): BD 2217.7 million
$ 5.87 billion | $7.83 billion |
| Trade Surplus | 12.4% of GDP (2004 est.) |
There are no Exchange Controls on the movement of monies
Bahrain's currency is the Bahraini Dinar, which is pegged to the US Dollar. (US Dollars are accepted in most major outlets)
Taxation
Education
The education system in the Kingdom of Bahrain meets the needs of a competitive economy. Numerous international educational institutions and schools have established links to Bahrain. There is a choice of Bahraini, British, American, Lebanese and Bahraini curricula in private schools.
Employment
Labour Force: 380,000 (2005 est.)
Transport & Communications
Bahrain has an excellent road network with causeway connections to Muharraq and Sitra islands and to Saudi Arabia. A road link is also planned between Bahrain and Qatar - construction is due to begin by the end of 2006
Bahrain International Airport in Muharraq is one of the busiest airports in the Middle East with the most connections to the rest of the region. It is used by most major international airlines
Manama is the headquarters of Gulf Air, owned by the governments of Bahrain and Oman
Steamers run scheduled service from Bahrain to other Gulf ports and to Pakistan and India
Local Media
There are 8 daily newspapers, 2 of which are in English
Bahrain Television transmits local and international news, current affairs, documentaries, educational programmes, as well as entertainment series and films. Bahrain TV also runs Channel 55, which broadcasts in English
Utilities Cost
Overall cost of living in Bahrain is much lower than most European countries and utilities such as electricity, water, and gas are subsidized by the government
Travel Visas
Visas are required by most visitors to Bahrain, whether on holiday or business trips or intending to live and work in Bahrain.
Two-week visitors' visas cost BD5 (USD 13.26) and are issued either at Bahrain international Airport or on the King Fahad Causeway from Saudi Arabia.
US citizens must pay either BD10 (USD 26.52) for a Bahrain three-day visa or BD15 (USD 39.78) for seven days.
British and Irish Nationals will be issued an automatic three-month Visa for BD5 (USD 13.26) due to a reciprocal deal for Bahraini Nationals in the UK.
Foreign Nationals may enter Bahrain with a tourist visa (for individuals or groups), 72-hour visa, 7-day visa, visit visa, business visa, family visa, dependent visa or an employment visa.
All applications for extension must be signed by a local sponsor. In the case of tourist visas, the hotel may act as a sponsor.