The Kingdom of Bahrain is an archipelago of 33 islands located in the heart of the Arabian Gulf. Bahrain is an Arabic word which literally means two seas. The reason behind its naming is that it contains two sources of water; sweet water from its pure springs, and salty water from the surrounding seas. The other reason is due to the existence of the North and South waters of the gulf, which separate Bahrain from the Iranian and Arabic coast.

Bahrain has grown substantially in the past 10 years. During the beginnings of the millennium, Bahrain realized that its oil reserves are diminishing, and are no longer a dependable source for the countries' income. Therefore, finding a new source for Bahrain to keep growing was ultimately necessary. Since then, Bahrain channeled its efforts into diversifying its economy through being open to new businesses, and starting up new promising developments and projects.

Bahrain has a decent bus service which links most of the major towns with Manama and Muharraq. Also, renting a car is another way of getting around and getting into more specific areas, but you'll need an International Driving Permit. To make things easier, taxis are frequently found driving around the streets. They are also found in all malls and souk stops.

The best time to visit Bahrain is during November through April. Although it can get quiet cool in January and February, the cold is not oppressive. Nevertheless, between November and December, the weather is free from heat haze yet sunny, and with a cool breeze. Rain on the other hand is not very frequent. However when it does rain, it's usually in winter.

Capital
Manama

Time Zone
GMT +3

Area Code
+(973)

Currency
Bahrain uses Bahraini Dinars "BD" or "BHD", which is almost equivalent to 2.66 US Dollars.

For more information about Bahrain please visit the Business Friendly Bahrain website
www.bahrain.com

Bahrain is a unique land with a line of ancient history. Unlike the neighboring gulf regions, Bahrain has a reputation of being the most liberal and modern Arabian Gulf state, which makes it the most favorable place to start with if your experience is new to the gulf. Although Bahrain is moving towards a more modernized lifestyle and its development happened quite fast, its people still hold on to and embrace their tradition. For those of you who admire opening up and exploring new cultures, you're in for a treat, as Bahrain is rich with its tradition and heritage. Bahrain takes serious responsibility in preserving its archeological digs and monuments. In Addition, traditional neighborhoods and souks still exist. Another beneficiary aspect is the British influence over Bahrain. This made the English language widely spoken; in fact, after Arabic, English is the most common language spoken in Bahrain. As for the people of Bahrain, they are very welcoming, and are known for their hospitality and generosity.

Aside from the culture and heritage, Bahrain has also developed substantially in terms of technology and information systems. Since the internet's first appearance in Bahrain in 1995, Bahrain has multiplied its effort in catching up and coping with the technological advances around the world. Bahrain took interest in establishing societies that deal with pure technology; how to implement it in our daily lives, and how will they improve it. Furthermore, Bahrain has tried to take advantage of the knowledge and technical advancement they possess and used it for the development of many sectors such as health, and education. The level of awareness regarding IT and technology has also increased significantly in comparison to five years ago. Now, Bahrain is considered to be one of the most up-to-date countries technologically in the Arabian Peninsula.

Historical Attractions

• Bahrain National Museum
  Located at the intersection of Al-Fatih Highway and Shaikh Hamad Bridge, the Bahrain national Museum was officially open in December 1988 to become one of the most recent and largest museums in the Middle East. The Museum consists of several exhibition halls covering the history of Bahrain from ancient times as pre-historic as the Stone Age, up to the pre-oil period.

• Bahrain Fort
  Although very near to downtown Manama, the fort is isolated from the hustle and bustle of the city. The whole site is an archaeological treasure. The fort was built around the early 1500's. The fort was built by the Portuguese as a military base, as they took over Bahrain to help protect their trade routes between India, Africa and Europe.

For more Historical Attractions please visit this link

Islands

• Durrat al Bahrain
  Bahrain's most inspiring development, Durrat Al Bahrain is located on the south coas. This development has been created across a cluster of 15 spectacular islands. It will host beautiful beachfront villas, executive apartments, luxury hotels and resorts, entertainment precincts, mosques and international schools, malls and restaurants, and a championship golf course.
  www.durratbahrain.com

• Amwaj
  First conceived in 2001 and now nearing completion, amwaj is a modern, fully functional neighborhood which features a diverse range of high-rise apartments, lofts, studios and villas together with an island dedicated to learning and state-of-the-art communications and utilities.
  www.amwaj-islands.com

For More information on the Islands please visit this link

Shopping

• Bahrain City Center
  The Kingdom's biggest Shopping Mall.BCC is located on the water front of Seef district. The Mall includes a 20-screen cinema; the biggest indoor water park in the region, alongside a family entertainment center, and a wide variety of restaurants and cafes.
  www.bahraincitycentre.com/BCC

• Seef Mall
  One of Bahrain's most popular shopping complexes. The mall houses multiple stores with various segmentations. It also has an excellent selection of restaurants in its food court, and also has two cinemas.
  www.seef.net

• Al Aali Mall
  Al Aali Mall offers contemporary convenience, sophisticated facilities together with internationally acclaimed brands. It also brings together an array of international and local luxury brands as well as its fine dining outlets.
  www.alaalicomplex.com

• Moda Mall, www.modabwtc.com

• Al Dana Mall, www.danamall.net

• The Bahrain Mall, www.thebahrainmall.com

Family Attractions

• Bahrain international Circuit (F1)
  The objective was to create an outstanding platform on which to promote the awareness and profile of the Kingdom as well as to stage sporting, business and, increase social exposure for the Gulf region. Bahrain International Circuit has become known around the world for the professional standard to which it runs many of its international motorsport events.
  www.bahraingp.com

• Al-'Areen Wildlife Sanctuary
  The Al Areen Wildlife Park has become an integral part of the development. The park is perfect for families and animal lovers to explore and enjoy the opportunity of seeing animals in the wild.

• Lost Paradise
  Visitors to Bahrain have a new place for fun in the sun. The park is the first fully-themed water park in the Middle East, it celebrates Bahrain's cultural history. Rides include the Falcons' Dive, the giant Superbowl, Boomerango and the Family Raft Ride, the park's tallest water slide.
  www.lpodwaterpark.com

For more Family attractions please visit this link

Restaurants

Restaurants can be found everywhere in Bahrain, from malls to across the street. A vast variety of cuisines can be found all over the country. From Asian cuisine, to Italian, to Middle Eastern are widely available around Bahrain.

• Gulf hotel
  A five star hotel with 40 years of serving experience, consisting of the unrivalled Gulf Convention Centre an Impressive large hall suitable for conferences, exhibitions or meetings. 14 restaurants and bars offer a variety of cuisine from around the world.
  Tel: +973 17746341
  Fax: +973 17713040
  Website: www.gulfhotelbahrain.com

• Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel
  The Diplomat Radisson Blu Hotel is situated in the prestigious Diplomatic Area, The hotels strategic location makes it the perfect base for both business executive and leisure seekers, The hotel enjoys close proximity to the heart of the commercial and shopping centers of Bahrain.
  Tel: +973 17531666
  Fax: +973 17530843
  Website: www.radissonblu.com/diplomathotel-bahrain

• Crowne Plaza Hotel
  With its 246 well appointed rooms and suites all with high speed internet access Crown Plaza Bahrain is the perfect location for the business traveller as it is located within the diplomatic area where most of the banks and embassies are located. The Crown Plaza property is perfect for business travelers, combining a fantastic location with modern amenities expected by the discerning traveler.
  Tel: +973 17531122
  Fax: +973 17530154
  Website: www.crownplaza.com

• Mercure Grand hotel
  The hotel is one of the largest hotel combines elegance and luxury with the best in mind. It is away from the traffic jam and close to shopping areas and banks.
  Tel: +973 17584400
  Fax: +973 17584401
  Website: www.mercurebahrain.com/home.html

• Elite Grande Hotel
  A modern, luxurious hotel in the Seef district of Manama, right by the Bahrain City Center Complex, An ideal choice for the business visitor to the Kingdom of Bahrain, Rooms and suites are superbly appointed, with all the modern amenities expected from a hotel of this caliber, matched by prompt, attentive service, and outstanding recreational facilities throughout the hotel.
  Tel: +973 17565888
  Fax: +973 17565858
  Website: http://elite-grande-manama.hotel-rn.com

For more information about hotels in Bahrain please use the (Hotel Directory) eService in the eGovernment Portal www.bahrain.bh

Getting a Visa to Bahrain is fairly an easy procedure which doesn't require much of a hassle. To visit Bahrain one needs to apply for visa at the designated embassies of Bahrain. Only the passport holders of AGCC (Arabian Gulf Cooperation Council) States; nationals of Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, can enter the kingdom of Bahrain without any visa. Nationals of all other states need to apply for a visa according to their purpose of visit and stay.

To make things easier, an electronic visa service is now available for some countries. Getting an eVisa before arriving should save you time queuing and having the correct currency or change.

To apply for an eVisa, please visit www.evisa.gov.bh