Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an Arab constitutional monarchy in the Persian Gulf. It is an island country consisting of a small archipelago centered around Bahrain Island, situated between the Qatar peninsula and the north eastern coast of Saudi Arabia.
Bahrain was one of the earliest areas to convert to Islam (AD 28). Following a period of Arab rule and was occupied by the Portuguese in 1521, who in turn were expelled in 1602 by Shah Abbas I of the Safavid dynasty under the Persian Empire. In 1783, the Bani Utbah clan captured Bahrain from Nasr Al-Madhkur and it has since been ruled by the Al Khalifa royal family, with Ahmed al Fateh as Bahrain’s first hakim.
Bahrain had the first post-oil economy in the Persian Gulf and is a great working destination of choice for Western expats. Since the late 20th century, Bahrain has invested heavily in the banking and tourism sectors. Many large financial institutions have a presence in Manama, the country’s capital. Bahrain has a high Human Development Index and was recognised by the World Bank as a high-income economy.
Quick Facts:
Capital City: Manama
Currency: Bahraini dinar (BD)
King: Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah
Government: Monarchy, Constitutional monarchy